


Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

by theprocrastiwriter2



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: F/M, I'mboredbutthiswillbefun, Interracial Relationship, Noona Kink, Older Woman/Younger Man, POV First Person, ispoofedthetitle, jailbaithaechan, kidding!he'slegal, prettynoonawhobuysmefoodakasomethingintherain, quarantinewriting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24423373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprocrastiwriter2/pseuds/theprocrastiwriter2
Summary: Ten gets his friend a job at SM as one of NCT 127's makeup artists.She takes one look at Haechan and buys him foundation that actually matches his skin tone.Chaos ensues.Story title is a spoof of "Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food" (aka Something in the Rain)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 72
Kudos: 117
Collections: R's NCT





	1. Chapter 1

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

By: TheProcrastiwriter2

**Haechan**

“Haechannie, why do you look so different today?”

My cheeks got hot. _Oh, man_. I expected this, so I should’ve had an answer ready. I _always_ had an answer ready. 

But this time I didn’t. 

“The new makeup artist,” I mumbled.

Mark spun in unison with me; a shimmy-shimmy here, a shimmy-shimmy there. Bass kick swingin’, but instead of Bruce Lee, I was...Hyuck Lee. A legendary idiot.

“What?” Mark prompted. “Can’t hear ya, man.”

Good. Doyoung was right next to him, and he looked for any opportunity to mess with me the way I messed with him. I didn’t want him to hear me, so I kept my voice low.

“The foreign makeup artist. She...messed my face up.”

This time Mark stopped to stare at me. Good thing it wasn’t the whole group, but just me, him, and Doyoung getting in some last minute practice before Musicbank. 

We were up next, and I knew I looked bad. Because I was so dark, it was hard for the Makeup Noonas to find me foundation. That’s why they went a few shades lighter, and said I looked better that way. 

It was fine. I was used to it. So why did the new foreign makeup noona have to go and change things? It pissed me off. 

“How did she mess up your face?” Mark finally asked. “You look fine. Just different.”

“You look _darker_.” 

_Aissssh_. Doyoung had caught on.

“I know. She used the wrong color,” I grumbled.

Mark tilted his head. It was the curious puppy look that drove our fans wild. “I mean, yeah, I guess it’s darker than usual. But your face and your neck are like...the same color now.”

“The color of poop!” Doyoung snickered.

Mark frowned. “Hyung! That’s so mean!”

I held back two things: a wince and a mean comeback of my own. It was fun arguing with Doyoung hyung, but we didn’t have time. We were about to go on stage. I could fix this if I hurried.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, leaving the dressing room.

“Don’t be late!” Mark shouted.

“Yah! Don’t piss off the new makeup noona, she looks scary!” That was Doyoung, of course.

I walked into a wide room lined with mirrors. In front of those mirrors were the rest of my hyungs and the makeup artists working on them.

Everyone in the room— no, the whole building— was Korean except for the makeup noona at the station in the far right.

She had big, curly hair. It kind of looked like one of the wigs comedians wore for gags, but it was actually growing out of her head. And it was...nice. The curls were a shiny dark red, and looked soft. They framed an oval face stamped with big eyes, a round nose, and full lips. She had a birthmark by her mouth, but you couldn’t see it unless you were close. Her skin was darker than mine.

For once someone’s skin was actually darker than mine.

I’d been all over the world, so I’d seen black people before, but I never thought our company would hire one to do our makeup. Everyone was shocked on her first day, and even more shocked when she spoke fluent Hangukmal . 

So far she’d been with the company two weeks, but already had a million names.

"Mari-sshi" for acquaintances and strangers. "Mari Noona" for us. "Mari-yah" for people she was close with, and "Chocopie-sshi" by people behind her back.

Right now Mari noona was finishing up Johnny hyung’s makeup, and it looked good. He’d said something in English, and now they were both laughing. It seemed like he was her favorite, because they were both from America. That was why she made him look perfect. Anger started bubbling in my chest. It wasn’t fair.

I walked over as Johnny was getting out of her chair. I plopped down in it and smiled at her.

She raised an eyebrow. “I already did you.”

“Yeah, but I think you made a mistake.”

Johnny’s eyes widened, and a few other people in the room looked over curiously.

Mari noona didn’t say anything for a second. She just stared at me with big brown eyes, a makeup brush hanging from her fingers. 

“Okay...it’s Haechan, right?” she asked. “Just point out the mistake and I’ll fix it.”

I moved a hand in front of my entire face. “Here it is. You made my face too dark.”

“That’s your shade.”

I gritted my teeth. “This is your first time doing my makeup, and I know it’s hard, because of my skin, but—"

“Hard?” she blinked in confusion. “It’s not hard. I had your shade ready in my kit.”

“I know it’s not what you’re used to, but you look good, Haechannie,” Johnny added thoughtfully. 

I glared at him, then Mari. “Look, this isn’t America. I want you to use whatever the other makeup noonas use.”

Jaehyun hyung, who was sitting in the station next to ours, watched quietly while Taeyong hyung laughed nervously. The room was quiet except for his awkward chuckles. Jaehyun’s makeup noona reached into her bag and pulled out foundation. She looked like she wanted to give it to Mari, but Mark and Doyoung burst into the room.

“Okay, we’re on in five minutes!” Doyoung said. “Haechannie. You still look like poop.”

Mari shot him a look, then sighed. “I’m sorry you feel uncomfortable, but there’s no time for me to re-do your makeup. Why don’t you make due with this today, and next time you can choose the foundation.”

I curled my hands into fists. Whether she realized it or not, these Musicbank episodes were going to live forever on YouTube. Her mistake on my face would be immortalized. The comments would...hurt. And she was standing there talking about a next time?

I got out of the chair to join the rest of my hyungs by the door. My throat felt tight, which was going to throw off my singing. “I don’t know if I want there to be a next time,” I said to Mari.

**_5 hours later..._ **

“Uh...Hyuck...I think you’re gonna wanna see this,” Mark said, handing me his phone.

We were in our van, and our manager was driving us back to our dorm. Everyone was excited, because we’d won Musicbank! 

I’d felt a little self-conscious on stage, but ended up losing myself in the music and forgetting about my appearance.

I took Mark’s phone and glanced down. There were already lives of our performance and win. The video on the phone was a HD fancam of me from Musicbank.

“Look at the comments,” Mark encouraged.

I’d never admit it out loud, but I was scared to. Why did Mark want me to read them when there were bound to be nasty comments about my looks?

“Come on.”

I sighed and started scrolling down. 

What I read surprised me.

_NCTzenoftheYear98: Um...is it just me or is Haechan getting hotter and hotter???_

_Hyuckilwillbethedeathofme’s reply to NCTzenoftheYear98: It’s not just you, sis. He’s definitely getting hotter._

_HyucksWaifu10: I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something different about him. He’s glowing._

_BabyDOESlikeits reply to HyucksWaifu10: Of course he’s glowing. He’s our Melanin King._

_PureLikeSnow: He looks too dark :-/_

_Taeyongmakesmesoft’s reply to PureLikeSnow: There’s no such thing. It’s simply genetics, and not an imperfection. And if you’re a so-called “pure fan” you’ll like Hyuck the way he is, naturally._

_Armyzen945’s reply to PureLikeSnow: GTFO. We don’t need your negativity. The fact that he exists means there are tan people in Korea, and they shouldn’t be made to feel like crap._

_Firehyucksubangcha!: What a bronze god_

_Biaswrecked127: His skin is honestly so pretty. It reminds me of those Werther’s caramel candies *drool emoji*_

_TheHardestStan222: I think I know why he looks different...his darn makeup matches his neck for once._

_BabyDOESlikeit’s reply to TheHardestStan222: OMG I’M SCREAMING!! You’re right! Usually his face is like two shades lighter than his neck, but now they actually match!_

_highwaytohaechan’s reply to TheHardestStan222: Wooowww I can’t believe it. I mean, he always looks good, but this looks better._

_127247: No more two-toned Haechan! He looks amazing._

_SheDoesntEvenGoHere: I’m happy he’s starting to appreciate his honey skin, and I wanna hi-five the makeup artist who’s responsible._

_The8thSense: His makeup artist needs a raise for real. He’s going to photograph better too. The flash isn’t going to make it look extra weird since the foundation matches his natural skin tone._

_OGKpopfan28: I’m imagining some little kid in Korea looking at Haechan’s skin and thinking, "Maybe I’m not so ugly after all..."_

I looked up at Mark, who’d been watching me with a soft smile on his face. My mouth was dry and my throat felt tight again.

I wanted to make a joke, but I was afraid that if I spoke my voice would crack. 

Because Mark was my best friend, he seemed to understand and just slung an arm around my shoulders.

“Told ya you looked good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In real life Haechan has said he likes his skin tone even though he's suffered some insecurities. And I don't think Doyoung would make fun of him (well, to this extent haha). I just tweaked some things for the sake of the story.
> 
> This story is happening because I was bored during quarantine, and watched an unhealthy amount of NCT 127/DREAM/WAYV videos. There will be appearances by BTS, EXO, Blackpink, Red Velvet, and other K-Pop idols.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Ten's real name is "Chittaphon" but Mari adds an "e" because she's goofy and wants it to read "ChittaPHONE" in her phone.

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

By: TheProcrastiwriter2

**Mari**

_Chittaphone: You did_ **_WHAT_ ** _?!_

I flopped down on my couch, narrowly avoiding squashing Louis. The brown and white cat meowed at me loudly then scampered off.

“Sorry, Louis!” I squealed. “Don’t tell your dad!”

It had been a week since _Foundationgate,_ and I still felt bad. Turning back to my phone, I thought about how to respond to my best friend’s text before he caught the next flight from Beijing just to get all the tea. He’d done it before.

_Me: I used foundation that matched Haechan’s skin._

_Chittaphone: You’re a terrorist._

_Me: No, I was just ignorant!_

_Chittaphone: KEEP YOUR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN YOUR MAKEUP BAG!_

_Me: Chit! If you keep playin’, I’m gonna tell the dude you sang that Baby Don’t Stop song with you were thinking about him the whole time!_

_Chittaphone: GASP! You have no proof!_

_Me: I literally have screenshots._

_Me:And stop spelling out “gasp”. Use an emoji like a normal person._

_Chittaphone:_ D-:<

_Chittaphone: But okay, okay. I’ll stop. You’re not a terrorist. Just a worry wart._

_Me: He seemed really upset._

It took Chit a few seconds to respond to that.

_Chittaphone: Tbh, he probably was. I’ve known the kid a while, and he’s pretty sensitive about the color of his skin even though he tries to hide it. He was probably made fun of as a kid._

_Still is,_ I thought.

My stomach sank remembering how one of the guys in Haechan’s group compared him to poop. It’s not like I didn’t know pale skin was the beauty standard in Korea. My grandma lived in Incheon. It was just taking some time to get used to since I’d grown up in the states.

I’d lived in Seoul for the first six years of my life, but my dad (the half Korean one) moved us to the states after my mom finished her studies at Yonsei University.

If I thought hard enough, I remembered being teased for my dark skin, but the memories were fuzzy.

I sighed and rearranged myself so my legs were hanging over the back of the couch and my head was dangling a few inches off the floor. Maybe a rush of blood to the head would do me some good.

_Me: He’s never gonna let me anywhere near his face again._

_Chittaphone: Maybe…_

_Chittaphone: But Dong-hyuck (that’s his real name btw) can be a bit of a wild card. You never know._

_Me: Let’s hope so. The other makeup artists already think no one can do makeup on Koreans like other Koreans._

_Chittaphone: But you’re Korean too! I mean, a quarter’s probably more than I have. The ancestry test I took screamed I was Chinese. Oooh, and .000000000000001% Sudanese, which means I’m black!_

_Me: Is it sad I can’t hear you, but know you just made the little Megan thee Stallion noise?_

_Chittaphone: What, do you have cameras installed in my hotel room or something?_

_Me: Guess I’ve just known you for too long._

_Chittaphone: True_ <3 _So glad I accidentally tripped your grandma outside of that convenience store when I was a trainee and you were visiting._

_Me: Chit!_

_Chittaphone: Tone down the hysterics. She was fiiiiinnnneee._

_Me: Anywayyyy, thanks again for getting me the job. I really hope things work out with Haechan or Dong-hyuck or whatever his name is. Some of the other makeup artists know I’m a nepotism hire, so I don’t wanna give you a bad name._

_Chittaphone: Not possible. You’re amazing._

_Me: Daaawwww, there’s my sweet friend_ <3 <3 <3 _Finish your promotions and come back soon. Me and Louis miss you._

Speaking of the adorable floof, Louis ambled back over and pressed his nose into the side of my cheek. He meowed at the phone like he was saying bye to his dad, and started playing with my curls.

I giggled, almost missing the last text from Chit.

_Chittaphone: Miss you guys too. And thanks again for cat-sitting._

***

The next day, I was back to normal. Smiling, confident of my abilities, beating faces to the gods. It was a good day, but I was looking forward to leaving SM’s headquarters, grabbing some fried chicken and beer, and going home to Louis.

I didn’t have many friends yet, so I was having fun exploring Seoul and trying out different restaurants. The city seemed so different than what I remembered from childhood.

“Hi, choco— I mean, Mari-sshi! Ji-hyun couldn’t make it in because of a family emergency. Do you mind staying late and helping with the next wave of groups coming in?” Min-ji the head makeup artist asked.

I gave her a strained smile. This happened a lot even though I was new. I’d been looking forward to fried chicken and beer, Netflix, and Louis, but I guess they’d have to wait. “Sure,” I chirped.

After she thanked me and left, I collapsed in my own makeup chair. I’d been on my feet all day and my back hurt.

“Mari noona?”

I jumped, causing the tall chair to wobble precariously, but someone stabilized me from behind. On either side of me, masculine hands gripped the aluminum arm rests and squeezed, drawing out a network of veins. My heart hammered in my chest as I tilted my head back.

Haechan’s face hovered over mine upside down.

“Mari noona,” he said again cheerfully. He was imitating an American accent.

I blinked up at him. If he was trying to work on his English, I guess I could help him out. “Yes?”

“Can…you…do me?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Keep in mind Haechan will be turning 21 in Korean age. They're always a year ahead age-wise, because they count the pregnancy months.
> 
> If you enjoy this chapter, please comment! They are my fuel <3

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation 

By: Theprocrastiwriter2

**Haechan**

After stabilizing Mari noona’s makeup chair, I caught a whiff of her hair. It smelled like...fruit. I couldn’t name what kind, but if it smelled this good it must’ve been delicious. 

She tilted her head back as I leaned over. This was a funny angle, but I couldn’t let it distract me. I wanted to ask her my question in English, so she’d start liking me as much as Johnny and Mark.

“Can…you…do me?”

Her eyes widened and she jumped out of the chair.

Crap! What did I say? I’d run it past Johnny, and he’d grinned and told me to use this exact phrasing. Was he messing with me? Was what I said actually offensive or have a double meaning? 

“My makeup! Makeup!” I said quickly, pointing to my face.

Mari noona let out a breath and said in Hangukmal. “Let’s just use Korean.”

“Okay!” I gave her two thumbs up. “I wanted to beat the other guys here, so you could do my makeup first. We’re going on _After Mom Falls Asleep_.” 

_After Mom Falls Asleep_ was a variety show where guests had to complete silly missions without making noise and waking up “Mom.” In this case, mom was a man in a wig pretending to sleep on a couch behind the guests. It was nothing serious, but I wanted to look good.

Mari noona was surprised. “I thought you didn’t want there to be a next time…”

I was hoping she’d forgotten I said that.

“Well...” I pulled out my phone. The video was already up just in case. “A lot of people seemed to like how I looked that day. Mostly international fans, but Korean ones too.”

She took my phone and scrolled through the comments. “Interesting...”

“Yeah, so...here I am!”

She handed my phone back and sized me up for a few seconds. I hoped she didn’t hold grudges like I did sometimes. When she broke into a smile, I wanted to pump a fist in the air, but my stomach felt weird. Like I was on a roller coaster at Lotte World.

“Okay, hop on.”

I plopped into the makeup chair, and Mari noona began working her magic. 

“Your skin is nice, you know. I saw a couple of people calling you Melanin King in the comments.” She stuck her tongue out a little, concentrating on applying a clear product before the infamous foundation that had caused so much trouble last week. 

“What’s...me-la-nin?” I asked.

“Uh...it’s a pigment our cells produce. The more you produce, the darker you usually are.” 

“So, I’m the king of producing melanin?”

She laughed. “Something like that. It’s a compliment.”

“Then you must be Melanin Overlord,” I said, taking in her skin. 

She paused.

_Uh-oh_. Maybe girls didn’t like being called “overlord”. 

“Or…Melanin Princess?” I corrected, quick on my feet as always. “Queen? How old are you anyway, Mari noona?”

“You know in the states it’s rude to ask people their ages. Especially women.”

“Is it?” I smirked. “Good thing we’re in Korea.”

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth lifted. “You’re a troublemaker, aren’t you?”

“No, noona. I’m a good kid. Well, not a kid. I’m turning twenty-one soon.”

“I’m twenty-five,” she finally admitted.

“You don’t look it.”

We fell into a comfortable silence as she finished up the rest of my face. For a while, we were the only ones in the room full of mirrors, but more makeup artists trudged in, along with the rest of my group. 

“‘Sup, Mari!” Johnny called out. They were the same age, so he didn’t call her noona. And he was speaking English, of course.

“Hey! Good to see you.”

I bristled. Did he have to flaunt the fact that she was the most comfortable with him? If I was fluent in English, she’d smile at me like that too. 

Jaehyun plopped down at the station next to Mari noona’s. When another makeup artist approached him, he thanked her and said he was waiting for Mari.

I didn’t understand why. His skin was like untouched snow. All of the makeup artists loved working on him.

“I’m almost done with Haechan,” Mari said.

Jaehyun nodded. “Take your time.”

“Yeah, take your time,” I mimicked in English before whispering in Korean. “Make me look better than everyone else.”

She laughed, and again my stomach dropped like I was on a roller coaster.

When she was done, I reluctantly got out of her chair and Jaehyun got in. He tried to make a joke, but judging by Mari’s face she didn’t get it. 

That shouldn’t have made me feel better, but it did. As Jaehyun blushed and kept over-explaining it, I glanced in the mirror.

Once again, my face matched my neck. 

And it didn’t look half bad.

***

“So, Ten hyung got her hired?” Mark asked, mouth full of fried chicken.

We’d just finished filming _After Mom Falls Asleep,_ and were back at the dorm eating fried chicken and drinking soju and beer. The actor who played “mom” hadn’t stayed asleep for long, because we kept making noise every five seconds. It turned out decorating a cake quietly was harder than it looked. 

Johnny got punished early and often, so we’d given up after a while and started being loud on purpose. 

It was fun, but it was nice to be back at the dorm relaxing.

“Yup, apparently him and Mari have been friends for a long time.” Johnny frowned and swapped his puny drumstick for the bigger one on Mark’s paper plate.

Mark glared, but let it go. Taeil, Yuta, and Doyoung were originally on the couch, but when Doyoung got up to use the bathroom, I snatched his spot and refused to give it back.

It was every man for himself. He should’ve held it. 

Him, Johnny, Mark, Jaehyun, Jung-woo, and Taeyong were on the floor around a low wooden table.

“That makes sense,” Doyoung added. “I don’t think the company would hire a foreigner out of the blue.”

“But she’s like, pretty good,” Mark said.

“Hyuck didn’t seem to think so last week.”

Everyone turned to look at me.

I froze, crispy wing halfway to my mouth.

“Well, that’s because I wasn’t used to seeing myself like that with makeup on,” I admitted. “But the fans seem to like it...”

“The international fans, mostly,” Doyoung mumbled, eying the couch. “Give me my spot back!”

“Shouldn’t have gotten up.”

“I’m older!”

“Then you _really_ shouldn’t have gotten up...”

Johnny chewed Mark’s stolen drumstick thoughtfully. “He has a point...”

“No, he doesn’t! You always take his side!” Doyoung whined.

“Older usually means wiser, so…you should’ve known better.” I stuck out my tongue.

Doyoung pouted while everyone laughed. His reactions made him the most fun to tease. The day he realized that would be the day I started teasing Mark more. Or picked a different target entirely.

“Some of the Korean fans liked it too,” Jung-woo offered softly.

“I wonder if they know I’m the Melanin King,” I thought out loud.

Johnny choked on his chicken. 

“A what? What’s me-la-nin king?” Taeyong asked. He turned to Jaehyun who shrugged.

“You lived in America for four years huh?” Yuta quipped.

“It— it must be new slang,” Jaehyun said defensively.

Yuta smirked and nodded at Johnny who was still choking. “Johnny’ll tell us if he doesn’t die.”

Mark was currently pounding on his back and forcing water down his throat. Once Johnny stopped coughing, he stared at me, amusement filling his dark eyes. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Mari noona said it’s what the international fans were calling me in the comments.”

“What does it mean?” Taeil spoke up.

Jaehyun crossed his arms. “Hyuck doesn’t know.”

“Do too! Melanin’s a pigment our cells produce. The more your body produces, the darker you are. Since I produce a lot of it, I’m Melanin King and Mari is Melanin Queen.”

Johnny laughed so hard he started wheezing. 

“It’s what she said word-for-word!”

He waved a calming hand, tears in his eyes. “She’s right, she’s right! I just— did you actually call her _Melanin Queen_?”

I paused, a little self-conscious. She hadn’t liked Melanin Overlord, but she seemed okay with Queen. “Yeah.”

A fresh wave of laughter hit him while Mark and Yuta looked thoughtful. All the other members were confused or disinterested with the exception of Jaehyun. He just looked irritated.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked him. “Mad cause you’re a Melanin Peasant?”

He rolled his eyes and started playing a game on his phone.

“You and Mari noona have little nicknames for each other? No fair! I want a cute American nickname too!” Jung-woo pouted.

“I swear she’s the best thing that’s happened to the company in a while.” Johnny had finally calmed down. “I look forward to hair and makeup now, and when we travel I hope she’s the artist scheduled to come with us.”

“Yeah, she’s really nice,” Mark agreed as always.

“You guys just like her cause she’s American.” Doyoung made a face and took a sip of his soju.

“She’s actually Korean,” Jaehyun corrected.

_What_? Now it was his turn to get stared at.

“Well...sort of,” he mumbled. “Her dad’s half Korean, so that makes her a quarter. She was born in Seoul and lived here until she was six. That’s why she’s fluent."

Interested murmurs broke out around the room.

“So, she’s part Korean? That’s cool,” Mark said.

Doyoung downed more soju. “She doesn’t look it.”

“Actually...at some angles she does,” Yuta murmured.

“She’s pretty,” Jung-woo said with a decisive nod of his head. 

“She’s not pretty,” Doyoung argued.

Taeil just snuck more chicken, and texted cutesy pics of him nibbling it to Win Win, who probably wouldn’t respond.

While everyone talked and the conversation shifted to other things, I wondered how Jaehyun knew Mari so well. Had she told him her life’s story while she was doing his makeup? If so, how come she wasn’t as free with me? People said I was easy to talk to, but the only thing I’d been able to get out of her was her age. 

I hadn’t known she was part Korean, although now that I thought about it, Yuta was right. Her eyes and the shape of her face were familiar.

My stomach sank, causing me to wonder if the chicken was bad. Tomorrow would be my first day off in months. I’d been in three consecutive comebacks, so you’d think I’d be excited about it, but…if I had the day off, it meant I wouldn’t get to see Mari noona. 

Something suddenly dawned on me. Something I should’ve brought up much earlier. “Hey Johnny hyung…”

He glanced at me. “Wassup?”

“When I asked Mari noona to do me, she looked shocked. Why?”

He burst into laughter for the millionth time while Mark shook his head.

“Hyuck, this time it’s _you_ who should’ve known better.”


	4. Chapter 4

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation ****

By: Theprocrastiwriter2 

**Mari**

When the YouTube video ended, I realized I had a little problem.

I’d spent my entire lunch break looking up NCT 127 music videos. And fancams and pics of Haechan. My client. My very _young_ client who couldn’t legally drink in the states.

At first it was to see how my work was coming out on camera, but then I found myself getting sucked into the performances. I’d watched a few NCT MVs and lives when Chit told me he’d essentially be in the Chinese equivalent, but it was so long ago I had to start from scratch. By the time I hit _Cherry Bomb,_ I was in awe of the group. Haechan in particular. His voice was light but soulful, and his fluid dance style was really appealing.

He was also gorgeous if I was being honest with myself. Especially in the videos and photos where he was allowed to look like himself. It made it easier to understand some of the nicknames fans made up. Aside from Melanin King, there was Full Sun (the most popular), and Pudu. I had to google what that was, and when I found out it was a type of deer, I couldn’t help but melt. Haechan did look like one.

I’d analyzed his face both of the times I’d done his makeup, so it was easy to recall his round eyes, button nose, and bronze skin. He was a pudu personified. But a mischievous one.

I groaned and put my phone to sleep. My break was over. I had to get back to the main makeup room. I was about to get up when my phone vibrated with a FaceTime.

“Hey, Lolly!”

That’s what I’d been calling my grandmother since I was old enough to speak. I would’ve probably called my grandpa Pop (so together they’d be Lolly & Pop) but he’d died before I was born.

“Aigoo, my little puppy. You look so thin!” She positioned her phone so I was practically looking up her nostrils. “Are you eating?”

I laughed. “Yes, in fact I just finished lunch.”

“What did you have?”

I switched to the back camera on my phone so she could see the empty carton of ramen.

“Ma-ri-yah! How many times do I have to tell you to leave that ramen alone. Eat rice!”

“Yes, Lolly.”

God, she was adorable. At five-one and well into her seventies, my Lolly was a force of nature. She was quick as a whip and outspoken. She had very few fine lines and wrinkles, so she looked great for her age. Even more so, because of a refusal to cut her hair and perm it like her friends. It tumbled down her back in waves, thick and black as ink.

I guess she’d have to be a tough person to withstand the opposition she faced for marrying my grandpa in a time where interracial marriages were unheard of, and raising my dad.

My grandpa had come to Korea on business and fell in love with her, but I only knew him through stories. That’s why I cherished my relationship with my Lolly, and partially why I moved back to Seoul.

“When are you coming to Incheon to see me?” She asked with a look of disapproval. “It seems like that company is always making you work late and calling you in on your day off.”

“Yeah…but I’m grateful to have a job. Chit told me the unemployment rate among young people is pretty high.”

Her eyes softened. “That’s true. You get that hard-working, grateful spirit from your grandfather. I just can’t believe you’ve been here almost a month and I still haven’t gotten to see you.”

“How about I come over in two weeks?” I’d take PTO so Min-ji wouldn’t try and call me in.

“Okay, I’ll make your favorite.”

“Mmm… _jaeyook bokkeum_.” I patted my belly. “Are you still using your guest room as storage?”

“No, but you’re still sleeping in my room.”

“Lolly, I’m twenty-five.”

“I wouldn’t care if you were forty! My granddaughter who I never get to see is staying in my room, and that’s that. We can talk until the sun comes up. It’ll be fun.”

I sighed. There was no arguing with her. “Fine, I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

I ended the FaceTime and went back into the main makeup room.

That day I worked on EXO’s Baekhyun since he was in the middle of a comeback, Changmin from TVXQ, and a few Girls Generation members who had various activities.

Just like Lolly had accused, Min-ji asked me to stay late again.

I said yes and stuck balled up fists in my black smock.

A little voice in my head pointed out that the rest of the night would’ve been tolerable if a certain pudu and his group were here.

***

The next day the same thing happened. I worked my butt off, and sighed internally each time the artist sitting in my chair _wasn’t_ a member of NCT 127. Did they have another day off?

I was approaching the end of my shift and looking forward to going home and sleeping when Min-ji walked over to me. My spine stiffened. _Again_? I’d stayed late almost every day this week.

“Mari-sshi,” she chirped, tone sickly sweet. “Do you mind sta—”

“Yes, I do mind. I really won’t be able to today. Sorry.”

She paused, smile never leaving her face. “Oh…do you have a family emergency?”

I hesitated, “No.”

“So you just want to go home and relax?”

I didn’t like the implication, but I’d had enough. “To be honest, _yes_. I’ve stayed late for you almost every day this week.”

Min-ji crossed her arms. If she wasn’t a makeup artist, she could’ve easily been on a runway during Seoul Fashion Week. “I know you may not be used to working this hard since the work culture is… pretty lax in America. But staying late is the norm in Korea. Employees are happy to do what they need to do for their employers.”

My throat tightened in anger. I squeezed the beauty blender in my hand until it molded with my skin. “I’m a hard worker and a team player, Min-ji. That’s why I stay late whenever you ask even though I’m new.”

“A month is hardly new. Unless you classify yourself as a slow learner.”

She was landing every jab with that stupid smile. It was the type of passive aggressive behavior I despised, but had come across frequently while working for SM.

“With all due respect, have you asked anyone else?”

There was a charged silence before Min-ji’s careful words.

“I’m not quite sure what you mean, Mari-sshi. I hope you’re not trying to imply I’m treating you any differently. I hear people like you use that trick in America to get their employers in trouble, but I don’t think that will work here.”

Her words had the same effect as a slap to the face. I couldn’t believe this was happening. All I’d wanted to know was if she’d tried anyone else, because I’d feel differently if I was her last resort. I wasn’t thinking beyond that.

Early on my Lolly had taught me that people looked for themselves in others. Liars thought everyone lied, thieves thought everyone stole, and murderers thought everyone felt bloodlust.

It was for that reason I tried not to make big assumptions.

But Min-ji had proven to be manipulative, so did she think everyone else was manipulative too?

I’d been nothing but accommodating and respectful since my first day, so for her to think I’d make that kind of false claim floored me.

We stood there staring at each other as the other three makeup artists in the room watched with rapt interest.

What was I supposed to do in this situation? She was obviously dead set on having me stay late or she would’ve dropped it when I’d told her no.

“Hi Min-ji noona!”

That voice. I hadn’t heard it in almost two days.

I glanced past Min-ji to see Haechan standing next to Ha-rin, another makeup artist. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked away.

His timing couldn’t have been worse.

“Ha-rin is offering to stay late,” he announced cheerfully.

Min-ji and I jolted in surprise while Ha-rin looked uncomfortable. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t.

“She’s decided to go clubbing with you another time so she can finish her shift,” Haechan continued. There was a glint of steel in his eyes.

“W-we weren’t going clubbing,” Min-ji stammered. “She was going to help me with something.”

I gaped at her, anger and dread leaking into my stomach. Out of all the times Min-ji had asked me to stay late, how many of those times were because she wanted another employee to go clubbing with her?

I wanted to tell her off. _Badly_. For lying. For trying to gaslight me into thinking I was lazy and irresponsible. But I knew myself. Once I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop and I didn’t want to give her an actual reason to penalize or possibly fire me.

So I just stood there in complete disbelief.

Haechan soon walked up to me. “Come on, Mari noona. Let’s go.”

He took my wrist gently and lead me around a fuming Min-ji and an embarrassed Ha-rin.

“By the way.” He stopped and looked over his shoulder at them. “The hallway carries. You should probably think about that next time.”

He tugged on my arm and we left the room. In the main hallway, a few people looked at our joined hands, so I shook it off. He looked hurt at first then gave me his signature smile. The tips of his ears were pink.

“In here. I don’t think anyone uses this room.”

I followed Haechan into the small dressing room and watched him shut and lock the door.

“I heard them making plans to go out. Ha-rin said she couldn’t, because she worked late, but Min-ji noona said she’d just make you cover it.” He clenched his jaw. “I didn’t know she was that kind of person. Are you okay? Has this happened more than once?”

I nodded, wishing the roar of blood in my ears would quiet down. I was angry, but I was sad too. I’d experienced things like this before, but it was still hurtful no matter how many times it happened. I was grateful that Haechan had stepped in, but I suddenly felt… _alone_. My parents and everyone I knew was in the states, and my grandma lived over an hour away by subway. Chit, the only other person I knew in Korea, was in China.

I let out a shaky breath.

_No. No, I better_ **_not_ ** _cry._

I was twenty-five-years-old. I didn’t want to cry in front of someone barely out of his teens.

“Excuse me.” I pulled out my phone, turned my back on Haechan, and called Chit. Him picking up was a long shot, but I desperately needed a friend right now. Someone who knew me.

“Mari noona?” Haechan sounded worried, but I ignored him.

Chit’s line rang and rang, then went to voicemail. I hung up and called again, and the same thing happened. I didn’t know why, but I decided to leave a message the second time. “Hey, Chit…” My voice trembled. “Um…I know you’re probably busy gyrating for underage Chinese girls, but when you hear this can you please call me back? Don’t worry about how late it is…just…just call me back. Please, okay? I’m sorry. I just miss you.”

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, back still to Haechan.

“Is there anything you want right now?” Even when he wasn’t singing, his voice was soothing.

“No, I’m okay. Thanks for what you did back there.”

“Should I…do you want me to take you home? You were supposed to leave now anyway, right?”

God, the kid was stubborn.

“Haechan, I’m _fine_. I’m just gonna get my stuff and—”

My stuff was back at my station.

And so were Min-ji and Ha-rin. Even if they’d moved, there’d be other people who witnessed everything. The gossip was probably already spreading. I groaned.

“I’ll go get your stuff,” Haechan volunteered as tribute.

Before I could object, he left the room. I collapsed into a metal folding chair and put my head in my hands.

What was I doing? Things were already a mess!

Haechan returned quickly and asked me to check to see if he’d gotten everything. My rolling makeup bag, wallet, and keys were present, but there were a few items he’d probably forgotten on the counter of my station. It didn’t matter. They’d be there tomorrow. Or I could get new ones if someone decided to swipe them.

“Thanks,” I said with a tight smile.

Now I was going to go home and get drunk and cuddle Louis. Maybe I’d try calling Chit again.

“Hey.” Haechan touched my arm as I brushed past him, stalling me. “Is there anything you want?” he asked again.

I stared at him. His dark eyes were soft, but his jaw was set stubbornly.

I broke. “Pancakes. I want pancakes.”

He looked taken aback.

“I’ve been here for almost a month and I still haven’t been able to find a good pancake place.”

He kept staring then burst out laughing.

I frowned, mortified that I’d answered his question and he’d laughed at me. I turned to leave, but he grabbed the handle of my makeup kit, stopping it from rolling.

“Noona, wait. I’m sorry.”

I stared warily.

“It’s just that…you asked the right person.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of a serious chapter, but we’ll be back to fluff (and apparently pancakes) on Friday! Yay for two updates in one week!


	5. Chapter 5

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

By: TheProcrastiwriter2

**Haechan**

“I thought you were gonna murder me just now,” Mari noona admitted, swirling a piece of pancake around in the syrup on her plate.

I pushed the pancake currently in my mouth into the sides of my cheek so I could respond, “What?” I decided to chew and swallow, not wanting to look like a chubby pudu to Mari.

“You were leading me into a dark alley.”

“It’s Seoul! All the best restaurants are in dark alleys.”

She paused before raising her index finger “Point made.”

It was nice to see Mari content. She’d looked ready to cry back at headquarters, and that was something I didn’t want to see. Just thinking about it pissed me off.

Min-ji noona had been the company’s head makeup artist since my debut. I couldn’t believe she wanted to make the newbie stay late, so Ha-rin could go clubbing with her. I’d have to keep an eye on both of them from now on.

“You used to live here, right?” I asked, sipping my hot coco. It was eighty-six degrees outside, but I didn’t care.

Mari was barely paying attention. She stuck another piece of pancake in her mouth, eyes going dreamy. “Mmmm…” When she realized I’d asked her a question, she perked up. “Hm? Oh, sorry. These are sooo good.”

I stared. _Gwiyeowo…_

But, wait. _Cute_ was what I called Ji-sung before harassing him. It wasn’t something I should be calling my older makeup artist— even in my head.

I cleared my throat. “It’s okay. I was asking didn’t you live here?”

“Yeah, til I was six. How’d you know?”

“Johnny has a big mouth.”

“Good to know.” She closed her eyes. “Wow…fluffy _and_ cakey? These are almost as good as my dad’s. It’s what he makes me whenever I’m upset.”

So that’s why she wanted them. I filed that info away for a rainy day.

“How’d you find this place? I’ve been all over Itaewon looking for good pancakes, and all I got was food poisoning.”

“Finding good places to eat is kind of a hobby of mine,” I replied. “The guys call me Yelp, because I’ve got restaurant recommendations for whatever you’re in the mood for.”

“Oooh, also good to know.” Mari grinned and kept eating.

“Are you guys doing okay? Do you need anything else?” Our waitress asked on her way to the back.

Mari looked at me. I shook my head, so she told her we were fine.

“Okay, let me know if you do.” The waitress squinted at me then shook her head before disappearing.

I lowered my BAPE baseball cap and made sure my black mask was still covering my chin. To get out of filming tonight’s minor promo material, I’d texted my manager and told him I’d bruised my tailbone. Then I’d texted Mark, told him the truth, and begged him to stop our manager from rushing to the nearest hospital. If someone snapped a pic of me sitting on my very functional butt eating pancakes with a girl, I’d be in big trouble.

“What’s wrong?” Mari asked. “Do you think she recognized you?”

“No, I think we’re good.” I didn’t want to be her second cause of stress tonight, so I nodded to her plate and tried to change the subject. “You’re a butter and syrup person, huh?”

She glanced at my plate and smiled. “You too. People that only use one or the other on their pancakes can’t be trusted.”

“Like Jaehyun hyung.” I flinched as I drove a figurative bus over him. “The weirdo only uses butter.” I reversed the bus back over him.

“If it’s not both, it shouldn’t go down your throat. That’s what I always say,” Mari announced proudly.

I let that sink in and so did she.

We both decided to act like it was never said.

“Ahem. Seriously, Haechan. Thanks for earlier. I didn’t really know what to do. I was just…speechless.”

“How many times has Min-ji asked you to stay late?”

“Uh…quite a bit. I spent a while trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but well…you saw how that turned out.”

I had, and it made my blood boil.

“Do you want me to tell my manager? He could talk to her boss and get her in a butt load of trouble.”

She shook her head, an indulgent smile on her face like she was trying not to tell a kid their crappy art project sucked. “Thanks, but I don’t think that’s the best idea. Chit— I mean Ten— got me hired, and the other makeup artists already resent that. If they found out you got Min-ji reprimanded, it could backfire.”

“Are you sure?” I really didn’t like the idea of her being bullied.

“I’m sure. I try to give others the benefit of the doubt, but I’m not a martyr. Going forward, I’ll see how she behaves. If she pulls this stunt again, I’ll go to her boss myself.”

I pushed out a sigh, knee bouncing restlessly under the table. It was cool that Mari noona wanted to handle her own problems, but the injustice I’d witnessed made me want to do something.

Whether Min-ji had singled Mari out because she was new or because she was a foreigner, the situation reminded me of my own.

“I was born in Seoul too, but I actually lived in Jeju until fifth grade. Most of my family’s still there, and my parents moved back with my siblings once NCT hit it big. I miss them even though I’m surrounded by friends. I can’t imagine how you must feel.”

She bit her lip, eyes dropping to her plate. “Yeah…it’s tough, but my grandma actually lives in Incheon. And when Chit’s in town, we hang out a lot.”

“Your nickname for Ten hyung’s funny,” I pointed out since this was my second time hearing it.

“Not as funny as pudu,” she shot back.

My mouth dropped open. I narrowed my eyes. “Who told you?” I whispered menacingly.

Mari burst out laughing. “The internet!”

“Oh, so you’re looking me up?”

“Only to see how well your makeup came out on camera.” She grinned, crinkling her nose like Kim Go-eun. “I can see why you gave me another chance.”

My stomach dropped and the next forkful of pancakes got stuck in my dry throat. I gulped some orange juice to help it down.

What was wrong with me?

My ideal type was Chaeyoung from Twice when she had short hair. Mari noona looked nothing like—

_They both have beauty marks by their lips_ , my brain offered helpfully.

Oh, that was true.

_No._

I. Didn’t. Like. Older. Women. Never had, probably never will.

Pushing my food around on my plate, I avoided eye contact with Mari’s beauty mark at all costs.

An awkward silence had settled in, because I didn’t respond to her comment about second chances, so I tried to fill it.

“Why’d you move back to Seoul?”

Mari noona gave me a weird look, but answered anyway. “Well…I guess I wanted to rediscover the city I was born in. Living in the states for most of my life, I got to experience my mom and one side of my dad’s culture, but not the other side. I mean, my dad spoke Korean to me at home and I FaceTimed my Lolly— that’s what I call my grandma— all the time, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to experience Korea as an adult.”

As far as I knew, I was Korean and so was everyone else in my family. Most of my friends were too with the exception of Chen-le, Renjun, and the members of WAYV.

Being more than one thing was literally a foreign concept, so I couldn’t help but ask, “Is it…confusing trying to get to know two cultures?”

Mari noona tilted her head, and for a second I was afraid I’d offended her. But she just smiled and said, “You know…I like that you just came out and asked.”

She spent the next thirty minutes explaining that everyone’s experience was different, but hers hadn’t been too confusing, because of her open parents and grandma.

Her childhood sounded fun and interesting, and I thought it was cute she called her grandma “Lolly”.

As the conversation drifted toward other things, I told myself I couldn’t use that word a third time in connection with my twenty-five-year-old makeup artist.

After finishing our breakfast for dinner, I offered to take Mari home, but she declined and got her own cab. I hefted her giant rolling makeup bag onto the seat before she slid in. She didn’t close the door right away. One foot was still on the ground, her delicate fingers gripping the handle.

On the other side of the cab, Itaewon’s colorful night life rushed by, but on this side with Mari noona looking up at me with big brown eyes, time stopped.

_This._ I took a mental snapshot.

This was like a scene out of those mushy movies Renjun made me watch.

“I can’t tell you how much I needed tonight,” Mari said softly.

“Well, I’m glad my services were appreciated. Don’t forget to give me five stars.”

She laughed, nose wrinkling again, and shook her head.

I hadn’t wanted to make a joke out of this moment, but my mind was blank aside from silly pre-loaded Hyuck responses.

“Hmm…I’ll think about it. Goodnight, troublemaker.”

I made sure her leg was safely tucked in the cab before moving closer and resting my forearm against the metal door frame. I leaned in to catch a whiff of whatever amazing-smelling fruit she used as her scent.

“Night, noona.”

I straightened and shut the door before walking up to the driver’s window and discreetly slipping him some cash. I wanted her night to end smoothly.

She waved at me as the cab pulled away, so I waved back with both hands; not stopping to think about how childish it looked. I watched the orange car cut through traffic, and kept staring even when I couldn’t see it anymore.

***

When I got back to the dorm, both my stomach and my head were full.

One with pancakes. The other with everything that’d happened tonight.

I held my breath as I crept up the stairs. It was late. The guys were probably asleep.

“Hyuuuuuuuccccckkkk!”

Or drunk in the living room.

Johnny had been the one who’d slurred my name, and as soon as he saw me he ran over, picked me up, and swung me around.

“Hyung!” I whisper-yelled. “Hyung, put me down!”

By the time he listened, Jaehyun and Mark were cackling on the floor. They were drunk too, but Mark looked manageable.

“You missed curfew, punk!” Johnny collapsed on the couch. He was such a giraffe, he took up the whole thing. I moved some soju bottles out of the way and sat on the hardwood floor. There was a pillow I could’ve sat on, but it was too far away.

Jaehyun squinted at me. His face was red, but his eyes were more alert than I’d realized. “Where were you? Your butt doesn’t look broken to me.”

Mark looked nervous. I owed him big for not telling anyone, even when he was drunk.

“I’m fine, I just told Mark to tell the manager that,” I admitted.

On the couch, Johnny kept repeating “broken bum-bums” to himself and cracking up.

Mark already knew the truth, so did I tell Johnny and Jaehyun too? I trusted them almost as much as my Dream group mate, but they had a soft spot for Mari. What if they were so angry, they were tempted to interfere like me? Or worse, let it slip to the wrong person?

Not only would Mari noona be upset, she wouldn’t confide in me anymore.

Faking a yawn, I stood up. The less people who knew, the better. “My cousin was actually the one who bruised his tailbone,” I explained nonchalantly. “But you know the company doesn’t care about family emergencies unless it’s immediate family. So I lied to take my cousin to the hospital. He’s from Jeju and he’s got anxiety. I’m the only one he knows here.”

Mark gave me a wide-eyed look and downed more soju, while Jaehyun listened intently. I hoped him and Johnny weren’t sober enough to ask me which cousin it was or the story would get a lot wilder.

“M’tired, so I’m gonna go wash the hospital stink off and go to bed.” That’d get me out of any possible questions.

Mark and Johnny slurred a goodnight, but Jaehyun kept quiet.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him finish his bottle of soju, toss it, and clench his jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haechan hasn't come out and said Chaeyoung from Twice was his ideal type, but he HAS said he likes girls with short hair, so I just chose her for the sake of the story. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter :) If you did, please leave kudos and comments.


	6. Chapter 6

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

By: TheProcrastiwriter2

**Mari**

Life after pancakes with Haechan felt like walking on a tightrope with a full stomach.

You weren’t hungry, but it was probably more dangerous.

When the cab pulled up to my apartment and the driver informed me Haechan already covered the fare, I went upstairs and some feelings followed.

I didn’t have actual butterflies over a freaking twenty-year-old, did I? He’d used the phrase “butt load” and had a BAPE baseball cap for crying out loud.

_No way_. I was just grateful about how sweet he’d been and my loneliness was trying to slap a romantic filter on things. Like the way he’d helped me into the cab and rested his forearm on the door frame before leaning in and murmuring, “Night, noona.”

Was it me or had his voice dropped an octave or two?

I picked up a meowing Louis and stared into the void.

It was me.

When Chit called later, I told him what had happened with Min-ji and what Haechan had done to help. I got a little choked up, but I didn’t cry like I expected to. As I talked Chit down from catching a flight to come and pull out all of Min-ji’s fingernails, I knew my night with Haechan was the biggest reason I didn’t feel so hopeless.

So, there I was. Bloated on a tightrope for the next week and a half.

Haechan kept his word and didn’t try to interfere with Min-ji, and it looked like he didn’t tell any of the guys either. I never asked him to keep it a secret, but I was kind of glad he had. I didn’t need this turning into a _thing._

The problem now was Haechan _himself._ He made a beeline for me every time he needed his makeup done and several co-workers noticed. They also overheard him suggesting different restaurants and joking about splitting the rent on a castle since we were monarchs of the melanin.

None of them thought it was funny— especially when the other 127 boys started warming up to me too. Taeyong asked me awkward, but well-intentioned questions about Lolly and my dad, and Jung-woo pestered me for an English nickname.

“What about me-la-nin puppy?” he’d asked.

I had to admit, the attention was nice. The boys were slowly moving from acquaintances to work friends. It just sucked having the other makeup artists look at me sideways. More than once I heard them talking in the break room or bathroom, saying things like:

“Does she think she’s special because Haechan and Jaehyun only go to her?”

“Hey, if you flirted more, maybe they’d go to you too.”

“I guess Ten-sshi wasn’t enough. She’s building an army.”

And those were just the tame comments.

The stress intensified when I’d inevitably find Min-ji in the middle of the gossip. After Haechan had exposed her, she’d stopped asking me to stay late, and dropped any pretense of friendliness. She never smiled at me and watched me like a hawk any time I talked to someone in NCT.

Was she waiting for the other shoe to drop? Afraid that we were planning to tell a higher up about her unprofessional behavior? Living in that state of paranoia probably didn’t feel good, but it served her right.

I guess it served me right too, because all I could do was watch my back on this lonely tightrope.

I was so starved for company and comfort after work hours, I FaceTimed Chit almost every night. I felt bad for not letting him rest after his shows, but if he thought I was being needy he didn’t voice it, which had to be a good sign, right? Chit never held back with me, so if I was bugging him he’d say so.

“Mari, babe, I love you, but you’re bugging me,” Chit finally admitted over FaceTime. It was a Tuesday, almost exactly a week and a half after pancakes with Haechan.

I slid lower in my bed, completely miserable while Louis attacked my blanketed feet.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” I groaned.

“I have questions. If Min-ji’s spreading gossip about you now, why can’t I get her fired again? And why is my cat your only friend?”

“I told you. If you get her fired, everyone will know I had something to do with it and hate me more. I’m new to the team. Min-ji has been there forever and has a lot of friends.” _Unfortunately._ “But don’t worry. I may have a plan.”

Chit muttered something unintelligible and lay back in a bed thousands of miles away. Funky pink and gray bangs flirted with his eyes as he settled in. I swear he changed his hair every month. He had dark circles, but other than that his skin looked baby soft and he was as pretty as ever.

To be honest, when he’d first accidentally tripped my Lolly in front of that convenience store and helped her up while his friends stood around awkwardly (well, except for the one who ran back in for bandaids), I was attracted to him.

Then I got to know him.

“You have tons of friends back in the states,” Chit said, interrupting my trip down memory lane. “You like people _unironically_. I hate the thought of you being alone every night.”

“I’m not alone, I have Louis.”

“You need a _human_.”

“I talk to Lolly all the time.”

“Fine, someone who wasn’t alive during the Korean war.”

I laughed. “I’m gonna tell her you said that and she’s gonna get one of her neighbor’s kids to post that pic of you in my Tina Turner wig on Instagram.”

“No,” he squeaked. “I’m sorry. Please don’t tell her. She’s ruthless.”

I grinned triumphantly, but he got serious again.

“Are you really okay, Mari? You’re telling me not to worry, but I can’t help it.”

“I’m fine, I swear.” That wasn’t completely true, but I had to stay positive. “Still just trying to adjust to life here."

“Why can’t you be friends with Haechan, Johnny, and Jaehyun?”

“Because I’m their makeup artist. They don’t really want to be friends, they’re just being polite.”

Chit quirked a brow. “Calling out your work nemesis and taking you out for pancakes is just being polite? I’ve never done that for any of my makeup artists.”

“Well, maybe you should,” I countered indignantly. “We’re overworked and under-appreciated.”

The look on his face told me he was unimpressed.

Sighing, I decided to tell him what my schedule was for tomorrow so he could stop nagging me about being solitary.

“If it makes you feel any better, the 127 boys are doing a show called Weekly Idol tomorrow and I’m scheduled to go with them for touch-ups and stuff. I won’t have to see Min-ji all day and I’ll get to spend some time with humans who don’t hate me.”

One of Chit’s megawatt smiles lit up his face. “That’s amazing, Mari! Make sure to—” He suddenly looked offscreen. “What, you can’t knock?”

“It’s my hotel room too,” someone argued in accented Korean. They paused. “Are you harassing Taeyong again?”

Chit grinned, but after a few seconds of playing coy showed the other person his phone.

I was in bed wearing an over-sized Spongebob t-shirt with my curls wrapped up in a yellow silk scarf. I was also not wearing a bra, so when a familiar adorable face appeared on my screen, I quickly covered my chest with my comforter.

“How are you, Mari-sshi?” Win Win asked sweetly.

Chit had told me he used to be in 127, but got moved to WAYV since Mandarin was his native tongue. It’d been hard for him since he was a shy person who valued structure, but now apparently, he was okay.

“I’m good,” I replied with a smile. “Getting ready for bed, too?”

He nodded shyly, and Chit, who loved making people blush said, “Him and Lucas have their shirts off _a lot_ during this comeback, so after every show Win Win spends at least an hour in the bathroom washing the baby oil off his abs.”

Win Win lunged at him, and Chit dropped his phone in the ensuing struggle. I cracked up at the Grade A entertainment, causing Louis to prowl up and rub his head against my arm. When they stopped wrestling, their hair was mussed. Win Win was frowning and Chit was smirking, because even though he’d gotten beaten up, he’d succeeded in making Win Win blush.

“Sorry about that,” Win Win mumbled, not quite meeting my eyes.

“I’m only upset because all I could hear were the sounds,” I admitted.

Chit managed to look betrayed as he fixed his hair. “Okay, that’s enough out of you. Go to sleep so you’re well rested for Weekly Idol tomorrow.”

“You’re going on Weekly Idol?” Win Win perked up. “It can be nerve-wracking, but it’s pretty fun.”

“Looks like it from the few clips I’ve watched.”

“Are Kwang-hee and Eun-hyuk still hosting?” Chit asked.

The clips I’d watched had different hosts. The name Eun-hyuk sounded vaguely familiar, but no face came to mind for it or Kwang-hee, so I shrugged.

“Hey, um…” Win Win paused and blushed again. “Can you actually do me a favor, Mari-sshi?”

“Don’t ask my friend for favors,” Chit interjected.

“Hush. What is it, Win Win?”

“When you see Taeil hyung tomorrow, can you tell him I don’t mind him texting me pictures, but fifty of him eating chicken is too much? My phone is almost full.”

Chit burst out laughing as I struggled to keep a straight face. This seemed very important to Win Win, so I wanted to treat my mission with respect.

“Don’t worry. I’ll pass the message along,” I pledged.

The next morning, I woke up before my alarm, so I decided to look nice. I’d been to one shoot with NCT 127 before, but it was for a twenty minute segment, not an hour long variety show like Weekly Idol.

I decided to wear a yellow dress and use shimmery bronze and gold eyeshadow to compliment it. Both made my skin look radiant and brought out its yellow undertones among the brown. Next I gathered my hair into two puff balls, and lay my edges into waves that’d make FKA Twigs jealous.

When I was finished, I smiled at myself in the mirror. I’d never dressed up for work before. I usually wore a black shirt and black skinny jeans. Humming lightly, I ate breakfast, packed up my stuff, and rode the subway to the SM building.

I was in the main makeup room wondering if I had time to grab coffee when the boys filed in. Haechan lead the way, practically skipping backwards into the room as he talked to Mark. He was already “Full Sun” this early in the morning.

“Morning, Mari noona,” Mark greeted.

Haechan jerked to a stop and turned around to face me. “Morni— whoa, _gwiyeowoyo_ ,” he breathed.

I panicked. _Gwiyeowoyo_ meant “cute”.

Mark laughed nervously and jammed his elbow into his friend’s ribs.

Haechan groaned and blinked rapidly in disbelief. For once, he struggled for words. “Not— not you, Mari-noona.” He turned to Mark and pinched his cheeks. “I was talking about Mark. Mark is cute.”

“Your eyes kind of remind me of Puss in Boots from Shrek, Mark. They’re so big and sparkly.” I was trying to level the awkward atmosphere.

Everyone laughed except for Yuta, who looked like a world of infinite possibilities had just been opened.

“It’s true,” he murmured in awe. “How could I not see it?”

The next thing I knew, he was shoving Haechan out of the way to grab Mark’s face and stare into his eyes. Mark turned red immediately and tried to fight him off. While most of the boys worked to pry Yuta from a screaming Mark, Jaehyun inched closer and handed me a warm styrofoam cup.

“It’s coffee,” he announced, killer dimples on full display.

I glanced down at it, then him, touched by the kind gesture. None of my selfish exes had ever brought me coffee at work. Even the ones who’d been co-workers!

“I know I’m supposed to pretend to refuse this at least once or say something along the lines of awww…you shouldn’t have, but I can’t right now, so thank you,” I said conspiratorially.

He beamed, eyes smiling. “No problem. Weekly Idol shoots can be pretty long, so I figured this would help. It’s your first time doing touch-ups on the set of a variety show, right?”

I nodded and took a sip of the coffee. How’d he know that?

Feeling like I was being watched, I glanced to my left and caught Haechan’s eye. He’d stopped trying to rescue Mark and was standing there staring at me and Jaehyun.

When we locked eyes, he looked away.

_Okaaay…what’s going on with him?_

“Um…Mari?”

I turned my attention back to Jaehyun, who’d switched to English. His entire face was red.

“You do look nice today.”

The compliment caught me off guard. More than the one Haechan had blurted out. Jaehyun was still a bit of a mystery to me. At first I thought he was conceited and standoffish, but that didn’t seem to be the case. He was a little awkward too, which was an endearing quality for someone so stunning.

My cheeks warmed as the compliment sank in. “Uh…thanks.” I lifted the styrofoam cup. “Coffee and a compliment? You did not come to play this morning.”

He laughed. “I lived in America for four years, you know.”

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that before,” I said dryly. “You know what? How about I do your makeup first for being so thoughtful?”

I started walking to my station, and Jaehyun followed, grinning.

“Are you sure? Oh wait, that’s not why I got you coffee. I wasn’t trying to bribe you or anything.”

“Really?” I winked. “‘Cause it worked.”

After everyone’s makeup was done, we piled into two big vans and drove to the Weekly Idol set.

I wouldn’t have to see Min-ji all day, but it wasn’t totally a win, because Ha-rin was the other makeup artist scheduled to do touch-ups.

Fortunately, she was in the other van with Mark, Yuta, Taeyong, and Jung-woo, while I rode with Haechan, Jaehyun, Johnny, Doyoung, and Taeil. Johnny was in the front seat so he’d have enough room for his long legs, but he turned around frequently to chat with me. So did Taeil and Doyoung who were on either side of me. Jaehyun chimed in every once in a while from the backseat, but Haechan was unusually quiet.

I met his gaze in the rearview mirror a few times though.

I tried not to let the out-of-character behavior get to me, but it was hard since I was used to his cheerful chatter. By the time we reached the set, I realized I’d almost forgotten something important. I had a favor to do.

“Oh, before I forget again, I have a message for you, Taeil.”

He turned to me curiously.

“Win Win needs you to scale back on the pics. His phone storage is full.”

Johnny and the others howled with laughter. Taeil was a good sport and chuckled too, but it was impossible to miss the blush creeping up his neck.

“Like really, how many pics of you eating fried chicken does he need?” Johnny was bent over in the front seat, clutching his stomach. “Scale it back like Yuta. Or at least find someone you can be obsessed with in person.”

“But Win Win likes me back,” Taeil argued. “He’s just shy.”

While Johnny and Taeil got out of the van arguing about Win Win’s feelings, Doyoung and I lowered the middle seat to let Jaehyun and Haechan out of the back.

“So, I’m guessing Win Win told you that while you were talking to Ten, huh?” Jaehyun went around to the back of the van to help me unload my makeup kit.

Haechan was off to the side on his phone. Was he waiting for us?

“Yup,” I confirmed with a wistful smile. “I was talking to Chit. I really miss him.”

“He’s your best friend, right?” Jaehyun asked softly.

“He’s my _only_ friend. Well, at least in Korea.”

I closed the van’s trunk and took my makeup kit’s handle from Jaehyun. Haechan finally started walking, and together we followed the others into the building.

Two hours into Weekly Idol’s shoot, and I was grateful for Jaehyun’s coffee. He hadn’t been kidding when he said they ran long.

According to some light googling, the variety show was where idols came to promote new music. They talked, danced to their latest singles, and played games.

The hosts were indeed two guys named Kwang-hee and Eun-hyuk, and I was _living_ for them. Eun-hyuk was part of a group called Super Junior and signed to SM, so it was possible I’d seen him around, but there were so many people going in and out of headquarters, I couldn’t keep up. Watching them tease NCT from the sidelines was fun, especially since Haechan was back to his animated self. Soon after, him and the boys performed their new single “Punch”, and Ha-rin and I touched up their makeup. Then it was time for a very interesting segment that gave me more insight into their group dynamic.

Apparently they’d done something the last time they were on the show called “127 Says” where they responded to questions only the viewers could see. One of the questions Mark had gotten was: _who do you miss the most when they’re away_? It was revealed he’d chosen Jung-woo instead of Yuta, so chaos ensued and I stood next to Ha-rin and the rest of the crew watching a turbulent love triangle unfold. I giggled as the boys played up their antics for the camera. I didn’t watch variety shows often, but from now on I’d definitely be tuning into this one.

The following segment was called “Punch Kick It”. Grammatically incorrect but inventive, it gave the group an opportunity to vent and air out their grievances. One member called another one out and they put on boxing gloves, brought up silly issues, and turned around to hit the punching mitts the hosts were holding behind them if triggered. Some of the highlights were Haechan being upset that he’d invited Doyoung out for a meal, and Doyoung declined only to be found eating a burger by himself. Haechan turned around and comically punched the padded mitts Kwang-hee held after telling the story. It was silly and obviously for TV, but part of me wondered if his feelings really had been hurt, and if he was more sensitive than his sunny persona indicated.

When it was Doyoung’s turn, he got a little emotional and the hosts had to quickly switch gears. From what I could see, Haechan and Doyoung were close, but there were possibly some things they actually needed to talk about.

After the segment resumed its bubbly, light mood, Jaehyun called Yuta out and accused him of not putting the toothpaste cap back on. A few members jumped to agree, but stopped when Yuta got a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Can I keep it going?” he asked.

_Uh oh_.

“Among the eight of them…”

He looked around the set, and to my surprise his eyes landed on me, then traveled back to Jaehyun and Haechan.

“I think two li—”

The rest of NCT converged on him like seagulls on a fry at the boardwalk.

“Don’t!”

“Don’t say anything!”

“You’re making us nervous.”

“We quit! We quit!”

Everyone on set burst out laughing while Jaehyun stood chuckling nervously in his blue blazer and boxing gloves. Did he know what Yuta was going to say?

“He got shot by a bullet and tried to drop a bomb!” Eun-hyuk exclaimed.

I didn’t know Yuta as well as some of the other members, but that sounded about right. Before the next segment, I made sure to grab him for a touch up instead of Ha-rin.

“Oh my god, what were you gonna say?” I asked, powdering the shine off his face. 

He stared up at me with an easy smile and replied, “You’ll probably realize it soon.”

It was a letdown, but I couldn’t press him for info so I moved onto Mark and Haechan’s makeup.

“Are you having fun, noona?” Haechan asked. I went into my kit and got a different powder for him. Not only would it eliminate shine, it wouldn’t oxidize into any shades that’d dull his luminous skin.

“Yeah. I’m glad I got assigned to this shoot even though it was kind of last minute.”

He grinned and opened his mouth to say something, but Kwang-hee interrupted.

“Wah…that looks great! What kind of powder is that?”

He was around the same shade as Haechan, but sadly someone had used a chalky powder that was way too light for him.

I told him the name as I finished touching up Haechan, and he watched over my shoulder with interest.

“Yup, I took one look at Haechan and ordered it online. I knew what SM had in the stock room wasn’t going to cut it,” I explained.

Haechan froze. “That’s why you already had it in your makeup bag?”

I pressed my lips shut. I did that for all my prospective clients. I was constantly looking at people and matching them in my head. It was like a game...or in this case, an occupational hazard. Fortunately Kwang-hee saved me from having to respond. “Hey, when you’re done with him, do you think you could put that on me?”

“Sure!”

But not responding didn’t stop Haechan’s eyes from boring into the back of my head while I worked on the host.

They eventually started shooting again, and this time the game was to see who could get the highest score on the kind of punching machine you’d find at a carnival. Haechan went first since he was the youngest and punched the machine, receiving a score of 921. Some members I expected to score high, like Johnny and Jaehyun, because I’d caught glimpses of their biceps and abs during more revealing stage costumes. But others surprised me. Taeyong ended up getting the second highest score despite being pretty skinny, and Doyoung and Yuta scored the lowest. Again, they had to answer funny questions about the members only the viewers at home could see, like who breathed too hard into the mic (the accused: Johnny, Mark, and Jung-woo) and who needed to take more showers (the accused: Mark, Taeil, Doyoung, and Jung-woo). Except this time, the rest of the members were able to guess the questions.

After that they were split into teams of three and competed in a relay race of sorts. The winning team (to Doyoung’s dismay) was Haechan, Mark, and Johnny, and the hosts gifted them with top tier Korean beef.

By the end of the shoot, I was exhausted. But I’d had such a great time watching, I didn’t care. The staff was really nice too. After we cleaned up, we chatted about the joys and trials of working in the entertainment industry. Ha-rin was different now that she was away from Min-ji and the rest of the SM makeup artists. She was more chill and listened as I answered questions about my background from the Weekly Idol staff.

Eventually, everyone dispersed and Ha-rin went to use the bathroom while I waited for the boys.

Jaehyun popped up first. “I think I would’ve scored higher than third if I’d taken off my blazer like Johnny.”

“Oh, so it’s the blazer’s fault huh?”

“Why don’t you throw a punch and we’ll see what _you_ get?” His dimples appeared with the challenge.

The punching machine hadn’t been moved yet, so I glanced at it; the wheels in my head turning.

“Wait, lemme borrow your blazer, so I can blame it when I don’t score as high as I want.”

“Ouch!” Jaehyun put a hand over his heart like I’d broken it.

Laughing, we strolled up to the machine. “I kinda wanted to try it after seeing you guys do it.”

“Give it a shot. You’ll probably do better than Doyoung and Yuta.”

“Okay.” I stood in front of the punching machine and tried to compose myself. I threw up a hand and curled it into a fist, but before I could throw a punch, Jaehyun stopped me.

“Hands are really important to a makeup artist, right?”

“Of course,” I responded, puzzled.

“Well, you’re gonna hurt your hand if you throw a punch like that. You know what? Here.”

All of a sudden, he was behind me, warm and present.

“Can I— can I show you?”

“Uh.” The back of my neck felt like it was on fire. “Sure.”

His arms came around me, and his much larger hand enveloped mine, thumb breaking apart my measly fist. He smoothed it across my palm until my hand was open and tingling with sensation. He was one of the taller members, and his shoulders were wide, so he made me feel small. The smell of cologne tickled my nose while the softness of his blue blazer grazed my bare arms.

Jaehyun was being the opposite of awkward right now and I didn’t know how to handle it.

“Close your hand like this and try not to curl up your thumb so much. Yeah, perfect,” he murmured.

My heart hammered in my chest as he gripped my forearm.

“And when you punch, make sure your arm is a straight line.”

Once I nodded, he backed off, but my heart didn’t stop racing. With the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I punched the machine.

Jaehyun stepped forward to look at the score. “918? Nice! I knew you’d beat Doyoung and Yuta.”

I flexed and we both dissolved into laughter.

“You almost beat me too,” someone else chimed in.

We jumped. Haechan had snuck up on us, and even though he was smiling, his eyes were hard as he stared at Jaehyun.

“I work out,” I said. “And by that I mean I lift my iPad in bed at night when I’m reading webtoons.”

“Ah, no wonder,” Jaehyun marveled.

We grinned at each other. This had been such a fun day. The thought of going back to my empty apartment was depressing.

“Wanna come over, Mari noona?” Haechan blurted out.

“Where?” Jaehyun and I asked at the same time.

He looked determined. “To our dorm to hang out. Johnny’s gonna grill the fancy meat we just won.”

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, like he was speaking neither Korean or English, but a language I couldn’t understand.

I wasn’t looking at Jaehyun, but he probably had a similar expression.

“Come on,” Haechan insisted. “Ten doesn’t have to be your only friend.”

***

Author’s notes: Would it even be a K-Pop fic without a second male lead? Haha.

And Haechan invited Mari over! Will she accept?

The events that occurred on Weekly Idol in this chapter were real. I just added a few things for the story’s sake. You can watch the episode here for an even better understanding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eKljBcrIQM&t=1815s

Sorry I didn't update last week, but hopefully I made up for it with a longer chapter :) As usual, if you liked what you read, please comment. They're my fuel <3


	7. Chapter 7

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

By: Theprocrastiwriter2

**Haechan**

I’m going downstairs to pick up Mari noona!” I announced, plopping down and jamming my feet into Mark’s sneakers. He wasn’t around, but he wouldn’t mind even if he was.

“Okay.” Johnny was setting up the little grill we’d use to cook the meat from Weekly Idol on two tables he’d pushed together. “Can you text Jaehyun and see where he is with the sides? He’s taking forever.”

“Got it!”

I’d do that _after_ meeting Mari in the parking garage and talking to her for a bit. The _NCTzens_ had a princely image of Jaehyun, and he loved playing into it. Especially when there were women around. It was why I’d been annoyed on the drive over to Weekly Idol, and why I’d broken up his little lesson with Mari in front of the punching machine.

The guy thought he was in a Disney movie.

When I stood up, I almost crashed into Doyoung. Too bad he didn’t have any separate activities like Mark, Taeyong, Jung-woo, and Taeil. Maybe I could call our manager to come get him just ‘cause.

He shook his head and crossed his arms. “I can’t believe you invited our makeup artist to our dorm.”

“I can’t believe she looked at Haechan and accepted,” Yuta said in passing.

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wondered if Yuta was secretly German instead of Japanese, because of the way his jabs tended to feel like a blitzkrieg. He dropped them and charged through the destruction.

“What can I say? I’m very persuasive. And likable,” I shot back.

“I think you mean _stupid_. Because if she gets caught here, we’re going to have to retire.” Doyoung’s hair was graying right in front of me.

“You worry too much, hyung.”

He grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a little. “Someone has to! I can’t believe almost everyone else agreed. Taeil, Taeyong, and I are the only sane ones— and they ditched me to go make money!”

I pulled up the hood on my hoody, and slipped out of his hold, laughing. “Why don’t you go out and make money too? Put on your shortest shorts, find a corner, and just hike ‘em up a bit…”

Doyoung swiped at me, but I opened the front door and ran. Nothing could ruin my mood, because Mari was coming over!

When I’d invited her on the set of Weekly Idol, I didn’t think she’d accept. Especially with everyone freaking out around us.

“Did Johnny punch you in the head backstage?” Jaehyun had asked, eyes wide.

I was glad the crew had cleared out and we were the only ones on set.

“What’re you tryin’ to pin on me?” Johnny came up behind me, the rest of my hyungs in tow. I’d been hoping to get Mari to agree before anyone else showed up, but arguing my case in front of an audience wasn’t something I was scared to do.

“Hyuck just invited Mari back to our dorm,” Jaehyun blabbed.

Everyone started talking at once; the explosion of sound making me want to cover my ears.

“Are you crazy?” Doyoung was predictable as always.

“Dude!” That was Mark. “You know we can’t have like... _girls_ over! No offense Mari noona. We like you, but we’d get in trouble.”

“You would too,” Yuta pointed out, stroking his chin.

Johnny was the only one who stayed quiet. And it was kind of nerve-racking, because that either meant he was thinking or trying to control his temper.

“Look,” Mari finally said. “I like my job, and I’ve heard of Dispatch. Coming over sounds fun, but…I think I’ll have to pass.”

I picked apart her expression. It was the same one she was making in front of the punching machine with Jaehyun. Flustered, but not fully against the idea. It made me want to push harder. I wanted to get to know her better; see what she’d be like in our dorm with her guard down.

I couldn’t give up.

“You said Ten was your only friend, but he’s been in China for weeks now. Don’t you think he’d be happy we were hanging out?”

I kept watching her closely, and struck again when she hesitated.

“Come over. None of us’ll get caught. Our security guards can help.”

“It’s not a good idea,” Johnny murmured.

Taeyong may have been our leader on stage, but off of it we sometimes deferred to Johnny, because he was rational (when he wasn’t pranking us) and kind of intimidating.

I frowned. That’s why I really wanted him on my side. Things were easier when he was.

“It’s not a good idea,” he repeated slowly. “But if we’re careful, I’m not opposed to it.”

“Yay!” Jung-woo clapped like a seal.

I wrapped my arms around Johnny’s midsection and squeezed, grinning.

“I told my parents my brother and I would buy them a house,” Doyoung whispered in shock. “How am I supposed to do that when we’re forced to disband because of this scandal?”

Taeyong scratched the side of his head before chiming in. “Don’t you think this is kind of last minute? We should talk about it more.”

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes before glancing at Mari. “It doesn’t have to be tonight. If you come on Friday, that’ll give us more time to plan. Oh, and you could wear baggy clothes, a hat, and a face mask. That’s what a lot of female idols do when they sneak around.”

She bit her lip, playing with the hem of her yellow dress. She wanted to. Human interaction was key, and she seemed extroverted despite being a little guarded.

“I just…don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”

I grinned. That was basically a yes.

Later that night, Johnny had shaken his head and called me “chaotic evil”. I had no idea what it meant, so I spent thirty minutes looking it up. The term originated from an old American game about dragons, and apparently described my moral leanings. There were even videos about me on YouTube that agreed!

Personally, I didn’t think it fit. Would someone who was “chaotic evil” risk their entertainment agency murdering them to help someone feel a little less homesick?

No. It was more “chaotic good”. And _that_ I could get behind.

Now, it was finally Friday, and I was racing down multiple flights of stairs, because the elevator would take too long. I slipped out my phone and shot Mari a text asking if she was here yet. We’d exchanged numbers on the set of Weekly Idol, so I could send her our address and a few tips. Like what side of the building to come in through and where the _sasaeng_ fans usually congregated. I’d also told the dorm’s security guard to keep an eye out for her and help her if she needed it.

When I got to the lobby and found it empty except for the guard, I frowned. I was about to ask him if he’d seen Mari, but a text notification stopped me.

_Mari noona: Hey, I’m in the parking garage. Ducked in here, because I saw a few girls in school uniforms hovering._

Ignoring the way my heart was hammering in excitement, I pushed open the door leading into the parking garage and waved at her. My arm froze and dropped slowly when I saw who she was with.

Prince Jung Jaehyun.

He was carrying plastic bags and flashing his dimples at Mari, who was wearing a baggy hoody, sweatpants, and bucket hat. There was a small suitcase by her feet. Had she brought her makeup? This wasn’t supposed to be a work visit.

I managed to push aside my irritation before walking over to them.

“Hey, Mari noona! Hope finding the building wasn’t too much of a hassle.”

“Hey, thanks for coming downstairs. Uh…one sec.” She folded the brim of her bucket hat back, so I could see her face better. “To be honest, your neighborhood’s kind of like a maize. If I hadn’t run into Jaehyun, I’d still be wandering around and those girls would’ve probably seen me.”

“Unfortunately, that’s how the company likes it. I mean, the _sasaeng_ fans find us anyway, but we don’t wanna make things too easy on them. Next time just text me and I’ll come get you.”

Both her and Jaehyun jolted at the “next time”, but I just stared innocently until she smiled.

“What’s with the suitcase?” I added. “We didn’t invite you over to make you work.”

She laughed. “Oh, that’s what Jaehyun and I were talking about. I’m gonna head to the closest _jimjilbang_ after this and catch the train to Incheon tomorrow morning. I told my Lolly I’d visit her this weekend, and my place is a little far.”

I almost asked if I could tag along. I was curious about Mari’s Korean grandma, and wanted to see if they looked alike and had the same mannerisms. I couldn’t do that though. That’d be weird.

I reached for the handle of her suitcase at the same time as Jaehyun. “Let me get that for you,” we both said.

“Uh…” Mari looked from me to him. “I can get it. It’s not heavy.”

“But you’re a guest,” Prince Jaehyun countered, trying to pull the handle out of my grip.

I glared at him and held on tighter. “You’re already carrying stuff.”

“So what. I—”

“What the heck are you guys doing?”

The three of us looked up to see Jaemin, Jeno, Chen-le, Renjun, and Jisung. They were carrying drinks and side dishes. And Jaemin was waiting for me to answer his question.

It was so unexpected, I let go of Mari’s suitcase. “Who invited you clowns?”

“Johnny hyung,” piped Jisung. “He said he wanted to cook for all his children.”

So Johnny had helped me build up this day only to destroy it. How could I get to know Mari with the Dreamies around? I loved them like brothers, but that was the problem. We were too close. In 127, no one messed with me, because I was the youngest, and quick-witted. Even Doyoung’s attempts were weak when they weren’t about how dark I was, and Johnny and Taeil doted on me.

But the members of NCT Dream were a different story. They were my age and my equals. When I was with them, Jisung was the youngest, so there was no babying, and Chen-le and Renjun weren’t afraid to tease me, because they were just as quick-witted. Well…almost.

This wasn’t the dynamic I’d wanted Mari to see.

Speaking of, the Dreamies had noticed her and were staring. If I thought Jisung had been stunned about HRVY being a natural blond, he was practically vibrating with curiosity over Mari’s…everything. He kept shutting his eyes and opening them like he was hallucinating.

“Why’s there a foreigner here?” As always, Renjun cut to the chase.

“She’s our new makeup artist,” Jaehyun explained. “Actually, she’s more of a friend, so she’s hanging out with us today. Mari, these are the Dreamies, another NCT subunit. Their music’s geared toward a younger audience.”

“I’ve heard about you guys from Ten, and I’ve seen you around headquarters. It’s nice to officially meet you,” Mari said, smiling.

After the Dreamies bowed and greeted, and got over their shock, we all started walking toward the elevator. They surrounded her like excited puppies, and asked a million questions while Jaehyun and I followed. Mari’s suitcase rolled behind him, the sound of its wheels grating.

“What’s up with you lately, hyung?” I asked casually. “You’re bringing Mari noona coffee…teaching her how to throw a punch. You’re really going the extra mile with your image.”

Jaehyun raised a brow. “What image?”

“The Disney prince one the NCTzens eat up.”

“It’s not an image. It’s called being nice.”

“Ah, I see.” I shot him a lazy grin. “Why do you even go to her? The other makeup artists are always talking about how easy your makeup is to do.”

“Because I like the way she does it. She wasn’t hired just for you.”

He was right, but I still had a comeback.

“You guys okay?” Mari asked, stopping it.

She was already in the elevator with the Dreamies, and if Jaehyun and I didn’t hurry, the doors would close. As she waved us over, she slipped off her hat. Her hair was slicked back into a ponytail that was so big and fluffy, it looked like cotton candy. No wonder the hat had been sitting so high.

The Dreamies’ eyes widened like cartoon characters, so I was going to laugh until I saw Jisung’s hand inching toward it. He was also opening his mouth to say something or most likely, ask a question. I got war flashbacks of him asking HVRY if his hair was really that color, and dove into the elevator. Mari shot me a strange look and stepped out of the way so I could tackle Jisung and clamp a hand over his mouth.

“You sure you’re okay?” she asked.

Jisung struggled, but I wouldn’t let him go. “Yeah, um…he just has this condition where he can’t control what he says.”

“You mean Tourette’s?”

I flinched. I didn’t want to throw around an actual illness people suffered from.

“No…not that, but we still have to watch him.”

“Okay…” Mari said slowly, turning around.

Jaehyun finally got into the elevator, and the doors closed behind him. For the very long ride up to our floor, him and the Dreamies stared at me like I’d lost it.

But no one looked more suspicious than Renjun.

Upstairs, Mari greeted everyone. When Jaehyun started wheeling her suitcase into our room, she stopped him.

“Actually, I’d like to change into…” She glanced down at her baggy clothes. “…something that doesn’t make me look like a rapper from the early two thousands.”

“That’s when I was born,” Jisung chirped.

Mari looked horrified.

“Haechan too,” Yuta added nonchalantly.

She plastered on a weak smile before following Jaehyun into our bedroom. It was a good thing I’d cleaned it earlier.

“I’m a nineties baby like you,” Jaehyun murmured as they disappeared.

_Barely_.

I turned on Yuta. He’d taken the plastic shopping bags from Jaehyun and was unpacking the food. When the tradition of respecting your elders prompted the Dreamies to take over, he stopped and met my glare with a grin.

“What was the point of bringing up the year I was born?” I asked.

“What makes you think there was a point? I was just contributing to the conversation.”

I grumbled to myself as the Dreamies finished unpacking. As a part time Dream member and the youngest in 127, I should’ve been helping, but I was too busy over-thinking. I hoped Mari realized I wasn’t as young or ignorant as Jisung. I listened to music from all different decades. Michael Jackson was my favorite artist for crying out loud!

But…it was better safe than sorry, so I quickly googled what American rappers looked like in the early two thousands.

By the time Chen-le and Jisung finished setting bowls and chopsticks on the two tables, Jaehyun reappeared.

“You should’ve let me season the meat,” he said, peering into the huge glass bowl filled with marinated beef by the grill.

Johnny pouted. He’d put on a Dooly the Dinosaur apron someone had bought as a joke. “Why? You don’t trust me?”

Jaehyun’s face said it all.

“You’re no friend of mine. I should’ve let Jason eat you.”

“Speaking of eating, when are we gonna do that? I’m starving,” Doyoung whined, sitting at the table.

“As soon as Mari noona finishes changing,” Jaehyun answered.

He sighed, but in the next minute, Mari walked into the dining room carrying a plastic bag of her own. She’d changed into jean shorts and a t-shirt that was actually her size. Her hair was still vulnerable and exposed, so I made sure to keep an eye on Jisung.

“Thanks for inviting me over. I brought some candy for dessert.” She handed the bag to Johnny, who looked in it and gasped.

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Sour Patch Kids? These are so hard to find in Korea, and when I do, they’re expensive!”

Everyone, including me, gathered around him to peek inside the bag. I’d never had either, even when we went to America.

Mari let out a breath and smiled. “I’m glad they’re a hit. I had no idea what to bring.”

Wait, was she _nervous_? She twirled a finger around the curl by her ear, and the simple gesture caught me off guard. I was so used to seeing her multi-tasking and cracking jokes, this shyness was unexpected— even though it made sense. Aside from me, this was her first time seeing us outside of work, not to mention she was the only girl here.

I plucked the bag of American candy from Johnny to put away until after dinner, and found myself smiling in the kitchen alone.

Mari’s easy confidence and sense of humor were what made me look forward to talking to her, but seeing this side of her made me feel…special. Sure, she’d been vulnerable the night I took her out for pancakes, but that was different. It was the result of a bad experience and she was upset; whereas this was her _caring_. Caring about making a good impression; caring about us liking her.

Was this what Ten had gotten to see before their friendship became comfortable?

Still smiling, I walked back into the dining room and knew right then, I’d messed up.

All the chairs were taken except the one furthest from Mari. I’d spent too long grinning to myself in the kitchen like an idiot. I should’ve made Jisung put the candy away. Of course everyone would want to sit next to our foreign guest.

Jaehyun had snagged the seat to her right, and Jaemin, who was definitely going to flirt with her the whole night, was to her left.

Irritated, I plopped into the exile seat at the end of both tables and played with my chopsticks.

At least I still had the meat to look forward to.

Jaehyun announced he was going to grill, and fifteen minutes into it, I realized that meat was something I couldn’t look forward to either.

Once it was grilled, it either ended up in Mari’s bowl or one of the younger Dream members.

Only a few pieces made it to my end, so I had to fill up on rice, japchae, and kimchee.

And soju. The soju was what saved dinner.

It loosened Mari up, so I got to see what I’d invited her over for. At work she was friendly and funny, but after a few drinks Mari was _magnetic._ She looked at whoever was talking like they had a spotlight shining on them, and her teasing was accompanied with little touches and playful shoves. It was very…American, and I’d never seen her joke that way with anyone at work.

For the second time that night, I caught myself smiling.

We spent hours eating, drinking, and talking. Mari and Renjun found out they both liked Troye Sivan, and sang their favorite songs to each other. I only knew who he was, because Renjun had just covered one of his songs.

“And he even stayed on pitch most of the time.” Chen-le nodded like a proud uncle. “Unlike now.”

Renjun picked up one of his chopsticks threateningly.

“Be nice, President Chen,” Jaemin said in his annoying teacher voice. He glanced at Jeno like a wife asking her husband for backup in discipling their child.

Jeno cleared his throat and added in his soft voice, “That’s right. We should only be teasing Hyuck tonight.”

“Hey!” I’d been keeping some very quality observations to myself. I didn’t understand why they had to provoke me.

Mari giggled, her nose scrunching up. It didn’t affect me the way it had over pancakes. I knew the only reason my stomach was feeling weird now was because I usually never drank this much alcohol. Even Chen-le and Jisung had managed to sneak some.

A foreign older woman and underage drinking. If our manager decided to stop by, we were dead. But instead of worrying about that, we ate more meat and drank more soju.

I’d never tell Jaehyun this— especially since he kept making lettuce wraps for Mari— but he grilled like a pro. The few pieces of beef I’d gotten to eat were just right. Not too tough, but not raw. After stuffing ourselves, Johnny, Doyoung, Yuta, Jaehyun, and Mari got up and made their way into the living room. I started to follow them, but Renjun grabbed my arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I scowled. “The living room.” I wanted to make sure I snagged a seat next to Mari this time.

“Not before you help us clean the table and load the dishwasher,” he said loudly.

“We noticed you didn’t help earlier.” Chen-le put a stack of bowls in my hands.

“I can help too,” Mari insisted.

I almost dropped the bowls. How had she snuck back into the dining room without making a sound?

“It’s the least I can do. Dinner was so delicious.”

Johnny, who was tipsy at this point, appeared behind her and put both hands on her shoulders. “Nah…you’re our guest. Let the kids handle it.”

He steered her back into the living room before she could say anything else.

Sighing, I helped clear the table and load the dishwasher. But not without making a lot of noise and “accidentally” spraying Renjun with the detachable sink nozzle.

By the time we joined the others in the living room with Mari’s candy, they were playing a game on her phone and there was no room next to her on the couch. I sat on a cushion on the floor wondering if someone was playing a joke on me. I was the one who’d invited Mari over, but I hadn’t gotten to sit next to her or talk to her much the whole night.

The couch sat four people, so from left to right it was Johnny, Jaehyun, Mari, and Doyoung. For someone who was so concerned about her coming, he looked comfy. Maybe I could do what I always did and steal his spot when he got up to use the bathroom.

“So, what are we playing?” Jaemin asked, rubbing his hands together.

“Drink and Tell.” Mari gestured to more soju bottles and shot glasses on the coffee table. “When it’s your turn, you pick from different categories and answer multiple choice questions. You can’t show or tell anyone what you picked, because we have to guess your answer. Whoever guesses wrong takes a shot. Whoever guesses right keeps their liver in tact.”

“Ohhh, this sounds fun.” Jisung bounced in his spot on the floor.

Mari peered at him. “How old are you again?”

“It’s fine. I’ll keep my eye on him and Chen-le,” Johnny reassured.

Jisung stopped bouncing and pouted like he hadn’t already snuck a few shots.

“Are you okay with us having the advantage?” I asked.

Mari tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve known each other for years, but you’ve only known us a little over a month. And you don’t know the Dreamies at all. We have the advantage.”

“Hope you can hold your liquor,” Doyoung added.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve been listening to you guys poke fun at each other all night. And I can just copy whoever I think is right.”

Jaehyun smiled and said softly, “If anything, this game will teach us more about you.”

“Oh, god.” She closed her eyes. “Someone pour me a shot right now.”

We all burst out laughing and started the game. It had interesting categories like: love, life and death, ethics, relationships, personality, “embarrassing”, pop culture, and sex. Before the Dreamies and I had walked over, they were being lame and answering questions in the pop culture category. But now that I was here, I’d have to liven things up.

“Why don’t we switch to embarrassing?” I suggested. If Ten was here, he’d probably choose “sex”, but I wanted to liven things up not make Mari uncomfortable.

Although…if she was Ten’s best friend, nothing would shock her.

The mere suggestion was enough to make Doyoung blush, but Johnny, Jaehyun, Yuta, and the Dreamies were all for it. Chen-le was up first.

“Which part of my face do I like the least?” he read off Mari’s phone.

“Your giant head? Sorry, it said face, didn’t it?” I asked innocently.

Chen-le rolled his eyes while Renjun and Jisung snickered. Jisung barely had the right to laugh considering he had the second biggest head in Dream, and was saved in Chen-le’s phone as “Big Head #2.”

“The answers are A: my eyes, B: my nose, C: my lips, or D: my skin,” Chen-le listed. He tilted Mari’s phone away and picked his answer.

“Well, it can’t be his skin. It’s milky white,” Jaemin complimented.

Mari’s forehead scrunched up, and she glanced at me, but didn’t say anything.

“Oh, it’s B! His nose!” Renjun shouted. “He wants a higher bridge like mine.”

Yuta examined Chen-le for a minute. “Maybe it’s A.”

Everyone started yelling out answers left and right, but Chen-le didn’t give anything away. Eventually, we locked in our answers, and held our breath as he tapped the screen. Like the sadist he was, he made us wait before turning the phone around.

A giant “A” lit up the screen.

“Ha!” I shouted, almost jumping to my feet. “I knew it! Drink up, suckers.”

The room was filled with a mixture of laughing and groaning as everyone who’d guessed wrong poured themselves shots, while Jeno, Yuta, and I high-fived.

“What would you change about your eyes?” Mari asked after downing hers.

Chen-le didn’t say anything at first, and probably never would’ve if we hadn’t spent the last couple of hours eating, drinking, and relaxing. He didn’t live here, but he visited often enough, so the dim, cozy living room was familiar and his belly was probably full. It also didn’t take much time to see Mari was a genuine person.

So Chen-le let his guard down. “I wouldn’t mind if they were a little bigger,” he admitted carefully.

Mari sighed and shook her head. “Ugh, you guys are gonna think virtue signaling’s my part time job.”

“What’s that?” Jaehyun asked.

“I’ll explain later.”

He nodded, but took out his phone to google it anyway.

“We’ve all got stuff we’re self-conscious about, and it’s annoying when people— especially a stranger like me— thinks one compliment will fix it, so I’m sorry, but I really do feel the need to say your eyes are gorgeous.”

Chen-le’s pale skin flushed as he ducked his head in embarrassment. A chorus of _Awww’s_ went around the room as he handed Mari’s phone to me.

She smiled self-consciously, soon realizing eyes of all shapes and sizes were on her. “I know we’re not in America, so it isn’t right for me to brow beat you guys with our beauty standards, I just…I just wanted to tell him that.”

“What’re you self conscious about?” I blurted out.

She looked at me, her surprise slowly melting into playfulness. “I’ll tell you if I get that question.”

“Aw, come on!” Chen-le exclaimed along with Johnny, Jaemin, Renjun, and Doyoung.

We spent the next couple of hours playing Drink and Tell, and got drunker and drunker as we learned more about each other. We ventured into more revealing categories like personality, love, relationships, and ethics, but stuck to the unspoken rule of avoiding sex.

The game didn’t care about our unspoken rule though, because sexual questions still popped up in other categories.

Whenever that happened, Mari rolled her empty shot glass along her bottom lip and challenged the giant Ryan plushie in the corner of the living room to a staring contest, while one of the Dreamies read it out loud obnoxiously before skipping it.

The questions were a little embarrassing for me too, but my stomach tightened in anticipation every time one came up, because I knew I’d get to see that shot glass pressed against her bottom lip as her warm breath fogged it up.

She caught me staring once, but it didn’t stop me even though it should’ve.

“Hey, it’s raining,” Johnny murmured, leaning over the arm of the couch to peek through the blinds.

The weather app had said there was a chance of rain, so no one was surprised. I settled into the pillow I was sitting on and crossed my arms on the coffee table, so I could rest my fuzzy head. I’d always liked the sound of rain and the steady beat the first few drops made before the melody of a downpour. It relaxed me, and I liked the sleepy atmosphere it created; the way it made everything seem more intimate. Especially at night.

The living room felt smaller with the rain falling in the background, and the soju burning my throat felt more potent as I learned things about my friends I thought I knew and things about Mari I hoped I’d remember in the morning.

Along the way, I revealed some things about myself too.

_Have I ever eaten lunch alone in a toilet cubicle_?

My answer was _C. Yes, once._ When I was a trainee who was really missing their family, and didn’t want anyone to see me crying over my kimchee.

_If my partner forgot their toothbrush and wanted to use mine, what would I do?_

My answer was _D. View it as a sign of closeness, and let them._ Pretty much everyone gagged.

The third question was the best.

_What would I do if I was in love with my married boss?_

_A. Quit my job_

_B. Keep it a secret and continue working at the company_

_C. Confess my love for them_

_D. Try and seduce them_

The Dreamies shouted out the craziest things, Doyoung looked mortified, and Yuta pointed out, “Lee Soo Man _does_ seem to like you a whole lot…”

“So you’re saying you think I chose D?” I asked.

Half the room laughed and the other half complained they were going to be sick. I just grinned, happy that I could get such a response out of everyone.

“Okay,” Mari said, accepting the phone from Jeno, who’d just admitted he’d feel betrayed if his best friend got into a relationship.

Jaemin let out a long-suffering sigh.

“After this question…I’ve gotta go,” she announced.

Her words were a little slurred, because she’d gotten the most questions wrong, but other than that she didn’t look drunk. Jaehyun had kept offering to Black Knight her and drink her losing shots, but she declined every time. By now I’d noticed she didn’t like accepting help from people.

And she could really hold her liquor.

Mari tapped on her phone to choose a new category, eyes a little glassy, lips curled into a smile. After Jeno, we’d agreed to switch to user generated questions, which could follow the multiple choice structure of the other categories or be freeform. I watched in anticipation, noticing her eyes suddenly widen and her smile disappear. She swiped her thumb across the screen and everyone sat up, alert.

She was trying to skip it, but gravity decided to satisfy our curiosity. Mari ended up fumbling the phone, and Yuta snatched it out of thin air like a ninja.

We didn’t even have to tell him to read the question out loud.

“Who would I kill, kiss, or marry in this room?”

“Oooh!” The Dreamies exclaimed in unison.

Mari looked like she wanted to sink between the couch cushions.

“You don’t wanna answer it?” Yuta smirked and glanced around the room. “It’s just a game. We won’t be offended, right guys?”

“Right!” Renjun and Jisung chirped.

Jaehyun frowned. “Stop guys, she’s uncomfortable.”

“Clearly,” Doyoung agreed, glancing at Mari. “It’s late and you’re drunk. You should probably go. One of us can call you a taxi.”

“I’m not drunk,” she shot back indignantly before sighing. “Besides, you guys answered questions that were way more embarrassing. I— I guess I don’t mind. As long as it won’t hurt anyone’s feelings.”

Most of the room cheered, egos anxious for her answers. I sat up straight. I couldn't help but be anxious too. Since the question wasn't multiple choice and there were too many possibilities, we decided this round would be more about the "telling" instead of the drinking. Judging by the soju bottles littering the floor, we'd done enough of that anyway. 

“Okay…” she said slowly.

“Before you choose,” Johnny interrupted. “I’d just like to remind you, I provided you with top tier Korean beef today.”

Mari smacked his shoulder and laughed.

“But I grilled it,” Jaehyun added.

“Aren’t they annoying?” I couldn’t believe Yuta was getting in on this too. “I’d obviously make the best husband. Less stress.”

“So, you’re just gonna cheat on Mark?” Mari gasped.

“I’m the tallest of the Dreamies,” Jisung bragged.

“And jailbait,” Jaemin clarified. He turned to smile at Mari. “I’m the best looking.”

Jeno glared at him, betrayed, so Jaemin patted his leg. “It’s just a game.”

I wanted to say something too; talk myself up in some way, but I couldn’t. She wouldn’t choose to kill me, right? Out of everyone in this room, I knew her best. We were friends. Monarchs of the Melanin.

I grabbed a bunch of Sour Patch Kids from the coffee table and stuffed them in my mouth. They tasted good with the soju, but chewing them took concentration, so maybe if I focused on that my heart would stop beating so fast.

Mari looked around the room and opened her mouth, but was interrupted again. This time by Chen-le.

“I’m rich,” he simply said.

It caused an uproar.

“President Chen!” Johnny gasped.

“You can’t just bribe her with your money! That’s cheating!” Jisung whined.

Chen-le just shrugged.

Mari shook her head, a small smile on her face. “Okay, okay…I guess,” her eyes landed on Doyoung.

_What? Was she serious?!_

“I’d kill Doyoung.”

The smug smile that had been forming on his face disappeared as everyone laughed.

“Alright, who’s next?” Johnny asked.

Mari suddenly looked embarrassed, and glanced down before mumbling something. 

“What? Sorry. Couldn’t hear you,” he prompted in a sing-song voice.

“I said I’d kiss Jaehyun.”

My stomach sank as Jaehyun turned pink. He smiled at her as Johnny clapped him on the shoulder like a proud dad.

Of course it was Jaehyun. It was always Jaehyun or Taeyong. At least she hadn’t chosen to kill me. And there was still one option left, so maybe...

We locked eyes, but she quickly looked away.

“And I’d marry…Johnny,” she said.

“Woo!” He jumped off the couch and clapped. “Say the word, and we’ll go to Vegas, Mari.”

I stood up and started clearing away the soju bottles and snack wrappers. Somehow it hurt more to be forgotten than to be killed.

“Wow…Haechan’s cleaning without being asked? What’s going on?” Renjun asked.

I ignored him. I didn’t care about having the last word right now.

“Well,” Mari said, standing up too. “I’m gonna go. Thanks again for having me over. I had fun.”

Everyone said their goodbyes, but before she could leave, Yuta opened the blinds.

The steady, comforting ran had turned into a torrential downpour without us noticing.

“Uh oh,” Johnny murmured.

I stopped cleaning and joined him and Yuta at the window. It was dark outside, but the streetlights illuminated the flooded sidewalks. Wind whipped the branches on the trees back and forth. There were barely any cars on the road, and this late at night with poor visibility, it’d be hard to get a cab.

“Ugh,” Mari groaned. “The weather app didn’t say anything about a freaking monsoon.”

“It’ll be hard to get a cab.” Jaehyun voiced my thoughts.

I turned to glance at Mari, and Johnny who’d called me “chaotic evil” narrowed his eyes.

“Why don’t you just spend the night?” I suggested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but I appreciate all the kudos I've gotten in-between updates. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was really fun to write. Especially since Drink and Tell is a real game I've played with friends before.
> 
> So, in your opinion, what's Haechan's alignment? Chaotic Good or Chaotic Evil?


	8. Chapter 8

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation 

By: Theprocrastiwriter2 

**Mari**

At this point, I was pretty sure Haechan was a wizard.

Either that, or he was “rumoring” me like the girl in _the Umbrella Academy_ , because somehow I ended up doing whatever he asked.

After he’d brought up spending the night, chaos ensued much like it had when he invited me over. Doyoung was against it, and even Jaehyun, Johnny, and Yuta had their concerns. As they argued with Haechan, the younger Dream members sat wide-eyed in the crossfire while I tried to figure out how it’d come to this.

Sighing, I slid past the bickering men to look out the window myself. Maybe it wasn’t that bad.

In addition to it being nighttime, it was hard to see through the heavy rain, but I was still able to make out a flattened cardboard box floating down the stream that had replaced the street. I squinted. Was there a cat on it? _Surfing_?

I massaged my temples. It _was_ that bad, but I couldn’t spend the night. If anyone at work found out, the boys would get in a ton of trouble. And if the other makeup artists didn’t already think I was sleeping my way to the top, they would now. Worst case scenario, I’d get fired, NCT fans would hunt me for sport, and my Lolly would kill me then bring me back to life to ask if any of the guys were viable husbands.

The reasons not to stay were overwhelming, but I was starting to learn Haechan was very persuasive.

“The closest _jimjilbang’s_ a sixteen minute drive, but a forty-five minute walk, and like Jaehyun said, it’ll be hard getting a taxi,” Haechan explained, scrolling through his phone.

“I took the subway here, so I’m sure I can take it there.” I crossed my arms.

“How’re you gonna get to the station? Swim?” he challenged. “You can borrow an umbrella, but that isn’t gonna do anything against sideways rain. Plus if your suitcase isn’t waterproof all your stuff’ll get wet.”

I stared at him, equal parts amazed and frustrated. If music hadn’t worked out, he could’ve been a lawyer.

“Well, is it?”

“Is it what?”

“Is your suitcase waterproof?”

It wasn’t, and I had things in there I’d rather not get wet, including a gift for my Lolly. I wrapped my arms around myself and bit my lip. Was I going to do this? Was I really going to spend the night in an apartment full of guys?

“As always, he makes a lot of sense,” Johnny interjected, carding a hand through his hair. “If you’re comfortable with it, stay. Mark just texted and said it was so bad out, him and the others are getting a hotel for the night.”

I pinched my side, taking in all the worried and curious expressions directed at me. I couldn’t believe I was doing this.

“Okay, but I’m gone first thing in the morning.”

We spent the next hour cleaning up and getting ready for bed. The members of Dream were spending the night too, so there was a hint of that youthful “sleepover” energy in the air. It was cute, but did nothing to allay my fears of someone finding out.

Haechan and Jaehyun offered me their shared room, then picked from the empty ones the absent members had left. I thanked them, and after washing up slid into the bed closest to the window.

I stared at the ceiling blankly. Sometimes I had trouble sleeping, and it was even worse when I was in an unfamiliar environment. I still couldn’t believe this was happening. Chit would never let me live it down. He’d also have a little “friendly” blackmail, so I wouldn’t be able to make fun of him about Taeyong as much.

I tossed and turned for what felt like hours; the soothing sound of the rain against the window pane doing nothing to lull me into the sleep I so desperately needed. I’d heard the boys talking in the living room, but they were quiet now so they were probably asleep. It felt like the whole world was.

Groaning, I flopped on my back and jerked at the soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” I called.

It opened, and Haechan crept in. The bedroom was dim, but not completely dark, because of the streetlight directly outside the window. He walked to the bed, footsteps as graceful and light as when he danced.

“Heard you tossing and turning,” he murmured.

Haechan was the one who’d asked me to come over, but I hadn’t really gotten to talk to him during dinner or _Drink and Tell_. My cheeks heated remembering the way we’d locked eyes during certain…spicy questions, and again during the last round of Kiss, Marry, Kill. The truth was, I’d been thinking about picking him for kiss or marry, but it didn’t feel right, because he was so young. He was twenty years old, so that meant if he wasn’t an entertainer, he’d be in college. And back in the states, he wouldn’t be old enough to legally drink or rent a car.

Thinking about Haechan’s age made me queasy. I had to curb this attraction that’d been building since he helped me with Min-ji and took me out for pancakes. He was one of my clients, and a literal child.

Okay, not _child_ , but still.

“You heard me tossing and turning all the way out there?” I adjusted the silk scarf tied around my head self-consciously. Aside from my ex-boyfriends, Chit was the only other guy who’d seen me in it. It was yellow, and my thick hair spilled out of the opening, so I probably looked like a pineapple.

“A little.” Haechan shrugged. “I was coming back from the bathroom.”

We stared at each other in the dimly lit room, the silence growing awkward with every passing second. He’d changed into navy pajama bottoms and a faded Michael Jackson tee. He was only a few inches taller than me, but his legs went on forever.

“Do you want me to go?” he asked softly.

The smart thing to say would’ve been _yes_ , but that wasn’t what came out.

“It’s your room. Besides…I can’t sleep anyway.”

A grin broke out across his face as he sat on the floor next to the bed. It was on a low wooden platform, so we wouldn’t have to strain to keep our eyes level or talk to each other.

I got more comfortable, turning on my side to face him. 

He was beautiful, but in opposing ways that kept me at war with myself. He had a boyish face, but the strong neck of a man. His eyes were big and round, but the spark of intelligence in them betrayed any innocence.

He was a walking contradiction that I wanted to avoid and be near at the same time.

“So…” the contradiction said carefully. “What’s on your head?”

I laughed. “A silk scarf. I wear it to bed so my hair’s easier to style in the morning.”

“That’s pretty cool. Why don’t all girls wear one if it’ll cut down on the time it takes them to get ready?”

“Quite a few do in the states. The rest’ll figure it out someday.” I winked. “What do you do when you can’t sleep?”

“Hmmm…play video games.”

“That probably makes it worse.”

Haechan shrugged and grinned. “I can run off four hours of sleep.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed. “So could I at twenty.”

“Are twenty and twenty-five really that different? What changes so much in five years?”

You finished school and either got a job you loved or hated. You changed and lost friends who didn’t understand why you wanted to move to the other side of the world. You met people like Min-ji who only cared about what was on the outside. And most of all, the ways in which you thought you knew yourself were flipped upside down.

Maybe it was different in your thirties or forties. Maybe those decades offered more stability. But the fact of the matter was, most people changed drastically during those first few years of adulthood.

Haechan waited patiently for my answer, dark eyes shrewd, mind clearly working on a rebuttal.

But instead of voicing any of the thoughts that had gone through my head, I just smiled and said, “A lot.”

He frowned.

“Besides, I bet you don’t even know who Ludacris is. Or Missy Elliot.”

“No fair!” he exclaimed. “You should’ve dropped those names earlier. I can’t remember if they came up in my google search or not.”

I burst out laughing, covering my mouth so I wouldn’t wake up everyone in the apartment. He’d actually tried to google famous rappers from the early two thousands?

Haechan pouted as I laughed, but eventually joined in.

“Hey, wanna play a few more rounds of Drink and Tell?” he asked after we’d calmed down.

“Sure, but no more drinking unless you and Jaehyun wanna wash beef and soju out of these sheets.”

He smirked and stuck an elbow on the edge of the mattress then rested his head in that hand and stared directly into my eyes. “You’re in _my_ bed, so I’d be the one doing laundry.”

His voice, which was usually a bubbly tenor, sounded deeper and hit me in the gut with all the force of a bass. I averted my gaze, laughing nervously.

“Do you…uh…wanna go first?” I grabbed my phone off the nightstand.

“Sure!” He sat up eagerly. The adorable pudu persona was back. “Since we’re not drinking, what does the loser have to do?”

I cleared my throat, still struggling to recover. _He was a teenager last year. He was a teenager last year. He was a teenager last year._

My mental mantra must’ve taken too long for Haechan, because he ended up answering his own question. “Why don’t we keep score, and whoever has the least amount of points has to grant the winner one wish?”

I narrowed my eyes. “One wish… _within reason_.”

“Of course.” He widened those brown eyes innocently.

I wasn’t falling for it.

“No public humiliation. No large amounts of money, and nothing that’d make the current climate at work more awkward,” I listed.

He stuck out a hand and I shook it. “Deal.”

So we started another game of _Drink and Tell._ This time with no drinking. Just talking, laughing, and discovering. We made sure to keep track of who guessed the questions right or wrong, because Haechan was competitive, and so was I.

If I ended up winning, I had no idea what my wish would be, but I guess I could worry about that later.

I lost track of how much time passed and forgot about having to wake up early to throw on my dated disguise. I was swallowed up by the feeling of Haechan’s cool sheets sliding against my skin, his endless mischief, and the sound of the rain.

At some point, I put on a playlist on my phone, but kept the music low so it wouldn’t disturb anyone. Mellow Korean R&B and acoustic pop became the soundtrack to our night as we teased and learned more about each other. When we hit a question I _really_ didn’t want to answer, I pulled the blanket over my head, prompting Haechan to laugh.

“You _have_ to choose, Mari noona! Come on, what’s the longest you’ve gone without a shower or a bath?”

I shook my head wildly under the blanket, not expecting him to grab a fistful and yank it down. I gaped at him, indignant. He was much stronger than he looked.

“Pick,” he demanded, shoving my discarded phone right back into my hands.

I sighed and tapped my answer. “Okay, did I go with _A_ : I shower every day, _B_ : one day, _C_ : two days, or…” I cringed. “ _D_ : more than three days.”

“I bet it’s _D_ : more than three days.”

I gasped. “That was quick! Is that what you think of me?”

“No!” he placated, laughing. “We’re both in the entertainment industry, so I know how crazy things can get. I almost went a week without a proper shower on tour, so I figured it might be the same for you.”

He had a point. Grumbling, I tapped the screen again and _D_ popped up.

“I knew it!”

“Yeah, yeah,” I conceded. “But it was _exactly_ three days, not more. That wasn’t an option though, so I had to go with _D_.”

“Right.”

“Shut up! I was on the set of a music video, which just happened to be in the middle of the desert, and the artist was insanely demanding. I managed to take a shower before midnight on the third day.”

“I’m guessing this was in America. Is it an artist I’d know?” Haechan asked.

I spilled the tea as we played, and despite more embarrassing questions, the atmosphere was easy and cozy until one from earlier came back and bit me in the butt.

“Which part of my face do I like the least?” I read, groaning audibly. This just wasn’t my night.

“Answer it,” Haechan goaded. “You said you would if the question came back up again.”

“Fine. I’m a woman of my word.” I tapped my answer and flopped onto my back. “Now what do you think I picked?”

“Wait, can you turn back on your side, so I can see you?”

I complied, and was met with a gleeful expression. He’d moved from leaning against the nightstand to sitting cross-legged facing the bed. Both elbows dimpled the mattress; his chin in his hands.

The song that’d been playing ended, and another came on. For a few seconds, the only noise in the room was the soothing strumming of an acoustic guitar. Haechan and I stared at each other, the teasing look on his face fading into one of surprise.

“Hey, this is me,” he said softly. “Well, not me. NCT Dream. Sometimes I promote with them.”

“Really?”

I’d always had NCT songs featuring Chit on my phone, and when he joined WAYV, I added some of their songs too. But after the first time Haechan had let me do his makeup, I threw more NCT songs on different playlists. I must’ve added a few Dream songs without realizing it.

“It’s pretty,” I murmured. “I’ve been trying to stream the different subunits, but it’s honestly kind of confusing.”

Haechan chuckled, his voice scratchy and low. “I know.”

“I must’ve added it without realizing it.” I switched to the music app to see the title of the song, although I had a good idea of what it was judging by the chorus. “Puzzle Piece, huh? I like that.”

“Yeah…we’re pretty sure Jaemin and Jeno wrote it about each other.”

I giggled and shook my head. “Okay, let’s get this over with. What do you think I hate about my face?”

He leaned closer, eyes roaming it.

I blinked rapidly and swallowed the sudden lump in my throat.

“What’re the options again?” he murmured.

“Um...my eyes…”

He gazed into them.

“My nose.”

His eyes dropped down to study it, one corner of his mouth lifting in a grin.

“My skin,” I whispered, reading the options out of order.

He glanced somewhere around the vicinity of my collarbone.

“Or…” My throat felt tight. I could barely squeeze the words out. “…my lips.”

His eyes flickered up to them, then went half-lidded.

“Puzzle Piece” continued playing in the background, heightening the tension with its simple melody and earnest lyrics. It complimented the rainfall, which had eased into a gentle drizzle.

Why had I left the lights off? Why had I put on music?

“I know what I’d pick if I had to answer this question,” Haechan murmured.

I knew what he’d pick too. The part of himself that had started us off on the wrong foot. The part of himself he was trying to be positive about.

“But,” he continued. “You like being you, and I admire that, which is why I have no idea what you’d pick.”

He was up by one point, so if I wanted to win, the smart thing to do would be to pressure him to choose one. Maybe even hint at the wrong answer.

But “smart” was the last thing I was being tonight. In fact, I hadn’t been smart since I’d accepted his invite after Weekly Idol.

So I put myself at a disadvantage and told him my answer.

“My lips. I don’t like my lips.”

He looked surprised. “Really? Why?”

I smiled, brushing fingers over them. “I don’t have much of a cupid’s bow, but I’ve always wanted one. It’s stupid and nerdy, but I grew up playing Final Fantasy, and they always had such deep ones. I wanted to look like Tifa and Yuna.”

“That’s so specific,” Haechan said, chuckling.

“Told you it was stupid. But sometimes I make my cupid’s bow look deeper with makeup.”

He sobered, and leaned even closer, back to examining my lips. “No…it’s not stupid. Like you said earlier, we all have things we’re self-conscious about. Even someone as confident as you.”

“Self-confidence isn’t something you work on once and have forever. It takes continuous effort.”

“Makes sense.” He folded his arms on the bed, and inched closer and closer. “Can I tell you something, Mari noona?”

I nodded, eyes wide. My heart was beating so loudly, I was surprised he couldn’t hear it over the music. He was close— close enough for his warm, minty breath to fan my face.

“I think your lips are nice. And your eyes, your nose, your skin…” he murmured. “Everything about you is…nice.”

I couldn’t breathe, much less respond. But it turned out Haechan wasn’t waiting for me to say anything, because he surged forward and pressed his lips against mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually write slow burns, but with this atmosphere a kiss felt right, so I just went with it. Listening to the characters and the mood of the story is one of the joys of writing without an outline hahaha.
> 
> Anyway, I'd really love to hear what everyone thought of this chapter, so please leave a comment below. Even if it's just a short one. They really motivate me.


	9. Chapter 9

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Foundation

By: TheProcrastiwriter

**Mari**

Haechan’s eager kiss knocked me off my side and onto my back, drawing out an embarrassing sound I didn’t want to think about.

Without breaking the the kiss, he rose to his knees and hovered over me.

His lips were incredibly soft as they moved over mine, destroying any rational thought that tried to surface. I shifted on the bed, not sure if I wanted to press up into the kiss or shy away. I was caught in limbo, every sensation and taste magnified. The soft mattress, Haechan’s bangs tickling my face, the cool mint of toothpaste in his mouth.

Soon I was returning the kiss, so when he pulled back a fraction to mumble a breathy “Noona…” against my lips, I snapped out of it and shoved him back.

He landed on his butt, blinking at me in a confused daze.

“What’re you doing? You can’t do this— _we_ can’t do this,” I said, breathing hard.

Haechan’s face crumpled, and my heart twisted in my chest.

“Sorry.” He struggled to his feet and laughed awkwardly. “Don’t know what I was thinking. It’s no excuse, but I might still be drunk from earlier. I— I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I mean, I’d kissed him back.

There was a new song on, but this time it featured a poignant piano instead of an acoustic guitar. It was the members of 127 singing, and the lyrics hit a little too close to home:

_It gets dark silently,_

_and it seems like it’s gonna rain soon._

_Do you like this cloudy weather like you used to?_

_I can’t ask, “Are you doing okay?”_

_Why can’t I forget you?_

_All my days and nights consist of just you._

_I’m still the same, you know me…_

_Please try to understand._

_I can’t sleep tonight either,_

_trying not to think of you…_

Haechan had been backing out of the room, but stopped at the sound of his own voice coming through my phone’s speakers. We locked eyes and he opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head then turned and fled.

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.

I knew I shouldn’t have spent the night.

***

The next morning, I was up with the sun. I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep, but I wanted to leave before Haechan woke up.

In the light of day, the kiss almost seemed like a dream, but I knew it wasn’t. It had happened, and now my budding friendship with him was ruined.

What if he told a few of the guys and the news spread? The only reason work was bearable was because I liked being around the members of 127. If things got awkward with them now, would staying at SM be worth it?

I almost started hyperventilating. _No_. Haechan wasn’t like that. He hadn’t spread anything when it came to Min-ji, so he’d be discreet about this too. Besides, it wasn’t like SM would let him off the hook if they found out he’d gotten involved with a makeup artist.

Pulling my bucket hat low over my face, I grabbed my suitcase and tip-toed out of the bedroom to find Jaehyun in the living room sipping out of a mug.

“Morning,” he greeted from the couch. He hadn’t gotten as many questions wrong as me, but he looked too put together to just have “stumbled” out of bed.

Had he been trying to catch me on my way out?

“Morning,” I said back, dragging my suitcase toward the front door. “Yesterday was really fun. See you at work!”

I really didn’t want to run into Haechan.

“Hey, wait.” Jaehyun stood up, almost spilling whatever was in his mug. “You’re actually leaving?”

“Yup. I said I’d be gone first thing in the morning.”

“I made some coffee. You should have some.”

I hesitated. I was dead tired, so coffee sounded great, but I couldn’t risk it. “I can just grab something at the train station. Bye!”

“Hold on a sec.” He rushed into the kitchen, where I heard him banging around before coming out with a Hydro Flask. He pushed it into my hand then toed into a pair of Converses that looked too small for him. The final touch was a baseball cap, and I couldn’t help but sigh in relief when I realized it wasn’t BAPE or some other flashy teenage boy brand.

“Let me take you to the train station.”

“No, it’s fine,” I replied. “I can get there by myself.”

“Our neighborhood’s a maize remember? I don’t want you to get lost again. Plus the _sasaengs_ like to wait outside in the mornings, and they don’t take weekends off.”

I groaned. I wasn’t mentally equipped to handle rabid teenage girls, so I just gave in. “Okay, but wow. No weekends off? Min-ji would love them.”

We snuck out a side entrance of the building and zigzagged through the maize of skyscrapers all the way to the main road. There were huge puddles on the ground and the trees dripped with leftover droplets of rain. But the sun was shining and the spring sky was cloudless, so it would’ve been easy to get a cab to the station. Instead, I sipped coffee from the Hydro Flask as Jaehyun walked beside me, chatting amicably.

A walk was good. Maybe it’d help clear my head.

But as Jaehyun continued being a sweetheart and talking, I knew I was only playing myself. I wasn’t listening to a word he was saying, because my mind kept drifting back to Haechan. I knew the mood had been a little too intimate, but I couldn’t believe we’d kissed!

Had he kissed other makeup artists or hair stylists before? It didn’t seem like something he went around doing, but that definitely hadn’t been his first rodeo. My cheeks warmed thinking about how he’d risen to his knees and leaned over me on the bed. The way his voice sounded when he’d murmured “Noona”, and how soft his lips had been…

“Haechan only did it to impress you,” Jaehyun said with a laugh.

“Huh?” I practically jumped at hearing his name out loud. “What about Haechan?”

Jaehyun shot me a quizzical look. I guess he’d switched topics and I hadn’t realized it. “Haechan only cleaned the room because you were coming. There are usually clothes, albums, and video games everywhere.”

“Oh!” I effused, chuckling nervously. “That’s nice.”

“I mean, everything _was_ okay with the room, right? Did you sleep well?”

“I did. Thanks.”

After lying through my teeth, I did my best to pay attention and keep up with the conversation.

When we finally arrived at the entrance of the train station, I expected Jaehyun to wave goodbye, but he followed me in. It was early, but there were already a ton of people coming in and out of Seoul.

I thought about my Lolly waiting for me at her house, and my eyes burned. I didn’t realize how much I was looking forward to seeing a familiar face. Especially one who loved me as much as she did. I couldn’t wait to board the train.

“Oppa?!” Feminine voices shrieked.

Confused, I glanced to my left to see a gaggle of girls staring. They were dressed casually, but the manic look in their eyes was anything but casual.

I turned to Jaehyun. He stared back in horror.

“No, no, no, no, no,” he mumbled, walking faster.

I followed, dragging my suitcase. How had they recognized him? He’d pulled the hood of his hoodie over his baseball cap as soon as we’d entered the station. You could barely see his face.

“Maybe if we just ignore them, they’ll think they’ve got the wrong person?” I mumbled back.

“ _Jaehyun oppa_!”

Or not.

He yanked my suitcase out of my grip and replaced it with his hand. “Run!”

My legs started moving before I could ask if it was necessary, and the Hydro Flask flew out of my other hand, nearly clocking an old man in the face.

“Sorry!”

He shook his fist angrily.

If there was any question about whether these were normal fans or _sasaengs_ , it was answered when they started chasing us. There were five of them, and three had their phones out taking pictures or filming as they ran. The crowd in front of us parted like the Red Sea.

“Jaehyun oppa, we love you! Please take a selfie with us!” one of the girls shouted.

“Who’s that? Is that your friend?”

I pulled my bucket hat lower, glad my baggy outfit made me look androgynous. Unfortunately, this meant it was also hard to see and move, but Jaehyun was doing a good job leading us. He scanned the big monitors displaying departure and arrival times before pulling me and my suitcase down a flight of stairs.

“Your train’s here.” He didn’t even sound out of breath. “But I think it’s leaving.”

“What?! I have to be on it!”

Once we hit the platform, we ran alongside the sleek train, dodging people who didn’t see us coming and haphazardly placed luggage. Behind us, the rabid young girls weren’t so agile and bowled into an ahjumma. She stopped them to yell at them about manners, but two especially determined girls broke away and kept pursuing us.

“They’re like zombies,” I huffed. I hadn’t run like this in a long time. I was getting a stitch in my side.

“There’s one door still open up ahead.” Jaehyun looked behind us, but only for a second. “We’ll lose them once we get on.”

“Good idea.” My brain ran that back. “Wait. What do you mean _we_?”

Just as I uttered the question, Jaehyun dove onto the train and pulled me behind him. The door slid closed and both girls crashed into it like cartoon characters. They bounced back and fell, concerned samaritans encircling them to make sure they were okay.

“Welcome aboard train three sixty-six, Seoul to Incheon. Please make your way to your seats,” a voice directed over the intercom.

Fortunately the train wasn’t packed, so I leaned against an empty seat and tried to catch my breath as it pulled out of the station.

“See? We lost them,” Jaehyun said, dimples popping. He wasn’t breathing hard like me, but there was a light sheen of sweat over his porcelain skin.

“Yeah, but this train doesn’t make any stops.”

He grew paler. “It doesn’t?”

“No. So I hope you didn’t have any plans today, because you’re coming to Incheon with me.”

It wasn’t a long train ride, but it was a stressful one. I was winding down from our encounter with the _sasaengs_ , and I had to help Jaehyun buy an anytime fare ticket on his phone before the person checking them made their way to our seats. After our digital tickets were scanned, it was still hard for me to relax. I kept thinking about what kind of pics those girls got, and if any revealed my face. What if I was called into the head makeup artist’s office on Monday?

“Hey,” Jaehyun murmured. He’d kindly taken the aisle seat and let me have the window seat. “We’ll be fine. It’s kind of hard to tell you’re a girl in that outfit.”

I laughed in relief at his reddening cheeks before looking down at my baggy clothes. “Then, it did its job.”

When we reached Incheon, the plan was for Jaehyun and I to part ways. He’d hop on a train or get a cab back to Seoul, and I’d make my way to Lolly’s house.

I should’ve known it was useless planning anything whenever my Lolly was involved. She made James Bond look predictable, and the fact was reinforced when I stepped off the train and saw her waiting on the platform with a man the same shade as me.

“My little puppy!” she exclaimed, opening her arms wide.

“Lolly?”

Half of me was happy to see her and the other half was confused. I was supposed to meet her at her house. _Alone_. Who was the tall guy standing next to her? My appraisal was interrupted when she wrapped both arms around me and squeezed. I huffed out a laugh and returned the hug, forgetting about everything stressing me out for a second. The kiss with Haechan, the _sasaengs_ taking my picture, and even this impromptu trip with Jaehyun.

“I missed you so much,” I murmured into my Lolly’s black hair.

“I could go any day now. I wanted to see you at least once before I die.”

“Lolly, stop!” I leaned back and shook my head. I even missed her dramatics.

I glanced at the man she’d come with again. He was watching in amusement.

“Who’s this?” I asked at the same time as her.

Right. Jaehyun was behind me.

Like a scene straight out of a comedy, both men stepped forward and introduced themselves.

“Hi, I’m Jung Jaehyun. I wanted to make sure Mari got here safely.”

“And I’m Han Hyun-min. It’s nice to meet you and Mari.”

Up close Hyun-min was even taller with deep brown skin and broad, attractive features. He looked black, but also distinctly Asian. Not to mention he spoke fluent Korean even though that didn’t automatically mean someone was mixed. I murmured my own greetings, wondering what he was doing here with Lolly.

Was he a distant relative? Family friend?

Or…

I narrowed my eyes at her, stomach sinking when she studiously ignored my glare to fawn over Jaehyun. My Lolly was progressive about some things, but strangely old-fashioned when it came to others. Like finding me a husband.

I should’ve expected her to pick me up at the train station even though we’d agreed I’d take a cab to her house. And I should’ve expected _this_. She’d ambushed me with blind dates when I’d visited Korea in the past, but this was a new tactic.

“You’re almost as handsome as Hyun-min,” she noted, circling Jaehyun like he was prized livestock at a county fair.

He turned red, but kept the polite smile on his face. I died a little inside.

“You look familiar too…” She turned to me and sniffed indignantly. “If you had told me you had a boyfriend and wanted to bring him along, I wouldn’t have needed to give Hyun-min’s grandmother my _seolleongtang_ recipe in exchange for his time.”

“ _What_?” She and her friends were trading grandchildren for recipes? I shook my head. There was so much wrong with that declaration, but I needed to address the biggest cause for concern. “Jaehyun’s not my boyfriend. He’s just a friend.”

“I was actually planning to catch the next train back to Seoul,” he added sheepishly.

Lolly looped her arm through his and held on firmly. She came up to his chest, but only fools thought that meant they could get away from her.

“Nonsense. You’re staying for lunch. And dinner.”

I groaned. Poor Jaehyun looked like a deer in the headlights. “Lolly, I’m serious. We’re not dating.”

She ignored me and looped her free arm through Hyun-min’s. “But don’t think you’re off the hook, young man. You’re still mine for the rest of the day. That _seolleongtang_ was a family secret.”

She started dragging both men toward the escalators, talking loudly to make sure I could hear.

“You kids need to stop being so shy. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been dating for long, and it doesn’t matter if you aren’t serious yet. You don’t need to be engaged to pay me a visit.”

Jaehyun stumbled over his own feet, but my tiny Lolly pulled him upright.

“It was so sweet of you to make sure my Mari got to me safely,” she crooned. “She doesn’t have the best sense of direction.”

“Oh…uh…you’re welcome.”

“What do your parents do?”

I sighed and began following the trio, lugging my suitcase behind me.

It’d been so long since I’d seen my Lolly in person, I’d almost forgotten resistance was futile.

One very awkward car ride later, Jaehyun, Hyun-min, my Lolly and I were seated on the floor in her traditional Korean house surrounded by photo albums. Over a light lunch of gimbap and iced tea that was apparently my grandpa’s recipe, Lolly proceeded to embarrass me more.

“And this is Mari after she lost her first tooth. Her mom caught her trying to paint it and cover it with glitter.”

“Really?” Hyun-min chuckled.

Jaehyun grinned and said, “You were really cute.”

I glared at Lolly, grumbling around the delicious sushi stuffed in my mouth.

When the naked baby pics came out, I ran out of the room screaming. It was one of the few times I wished Lolly was a bit more…prudish.

After an explosion of _Awwws_ and comments about my chubby cheeks, I slunk back into the room with heat in them.

It was much quieter now. What were they looking at?

I peeked over Lolly’s shoulder and let out the breath I’d been holding. It was a picture of her and my grandpa on their wedding day. He towered over her, but the adoring smile on his face said he was at her mercy. Lolly wore a simple pink and blue hanbok while he wore a dove gray suit.

They looked happy even though my Lolly had told me no one came.

She brushed fond fingers over the old photo, prompting the hollow sadness I always felt when her or my dad reminisced about the grandfather I’d never gotten to know.

“He was such a warm person,” Lolly murmured. “Literally— to the point where he didn’t really need coats in the winter.”

Hyun-min, Jaehyun, and I laughed.

“But he was the kind of warm you’re imagining too. Friendly. Kind. He drew all sorts of people despite the hardships we faced.”

“Reminds me of Mari,” Jaehyun said gently, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. When our eyes met, he looked away.

“Yes.” Lolly nodded. “They’re a lot alike.”

After that, the photo albums went away and we talked until dinner time.

My Lolly had indeed made my favorite, and it warmed my heart even though she’d taken two grown men hostage and further complicated my day.

Hyun-min ended up being pretty cool and didn’t seem upset that his grandma had pimped him out to mine. He was animated once he got comfortable, and had lots of funny stories about the modeling gigs he landed in Seoul. I realized I’d heard about him in passing, but never had a face to go with the name.

I was pleasantly surprised he was doing well as a half Nigerian half Korean model. It looked like things were changing for the better. My dad would be happy to hear that, because he’d had a tough time growing up.

Jaehyun didn’t talk much, but seemed to be enjoying himself and the _jeyuk bokkeum_ he was being fed. He asked Lolly compelling questions about her life and listened intently to her stories. He also asked about my parents and other family members, and connected them with some of the photos he’d seen in the albums. 

It was all very sweet, but if Lolly wasn’t convinced we were a couple before, she was now.

When dinner was over, we chased it down with fragrant tea and peeled fruit. After more conversation and a few card games, Hyun-min announced it was time for him to go.

We said our goodbyes and walked him to the door where the early evening sun drew out beautiful undertones in his dark, tawny skin. He really was striking. Maybe one day I’d get to do his makeup.

I waited until Lolly and Jaehyun wondered back into the living room before apologizing. “Sorry you got roped into…whatever this was.”

Hyun-min laughed. “You mean the _sogaeting_ where the girl brought her boyfriend?”

“Don’t tell me you have selective hearing like my Lolly. He’s not my boyfriend, but I’m sorry if it felt like you were third-wheeling.”

“No worries. My grandma loves yours, and I love mine, so here we are. It doesn’t hurt I got two good meals out of it either.”

I tilted my head. “You’re a pretty cool dude, Han Hyun-min.”

“I know.” He winked and pulled out his phone. “The blind date was a bust, but I think you’re pretty cool too. I don’t really get to meet many other mixed people, so if you ever just wanted to hang as friends, I’d be down.”

More friends in Seoul sounded great (especially one who’d probably understand some of the challenges I faced) so I gave him my number. We agreed to grab coffee some time and left it at that. But as he was turning away and I was closing the door, something struck me.

He’d called me noona once or twice during the course of the day.

“Hey, how old are you anyway?” I asked.

Hyun-min got that amused glint in his eyes again.

“Nineteen. See ya.”

My jaw detached itself from my face as he walked away laughing.

I managed to close the door after a few seconds of stunned silence. Once I snapped out of my trance, I stormed into the living room where Lolly and Jaehyun were having another deep conversation and drinking tea.

I was angry and weirded out, but most of all…confused.

“Lolly! Did you just try to set me up with a _nineteen-year-old_?!”

Haechan was bad enough, so was this the universe teasing me? Telling me it could get worse?

She placed her teacup down gently then burst out laughing, while Jaehyun looked between us in shock. He was going to leave here thinking we were insane. I just knew it.

“I wasn’t trying to marry you off to Hyun-min.” She paused in contemplation. “Well…not right this second. He’s too young, of course. I just wanted to see if you’d hit it off, and if he was worth putting on the back burner.”

“The back burner? He’s not one of your soups!”

“That’s a great analogy actually.” She patted Jaehyun’s arm. “I think I like this soup for you, which is good because you’re already sipping it, right?”

My eye twitched. I didn’t know whether to laugh or yell or hop on the next train back to Seoul. 

“Come sit down, pup.”

I did as my Lolly said, because I was kind of scared of her. At least Hyun-min’s grandma hadthe decency to fill him in on everything.

A tiny smile appeared on Jaehyun’s face as I settled next to him on the floor. It made me nervous,because I was expecting him to say he needed to use the bathroom and never come back. Instead, a dimple creased his cheek as he stared at Lolly fondly.

“You haven’t changed,” he said.

“Who hasn’t changed?” I wasn’t following his train of thought at all.

“Your Lolly.”

Instead of looking confused like me, she had a knowing smile on her face. “I was wondering when you were going to bring it up.”

I glanced between them, then started massaging my temples. “Okay, what’s going on, guys?”

“Do you remember when we first met?” Jaehyun asked after hesitating a few seconds.

“Yeah...we met at headquarters on my first day.”

“Actually, by then I’d already known you a few years.”

Bewildered, I glanced at my Lolly again, and she was shaking her head like it all made sense.

“Wait, are you trying to tell me you two already knew each other?” I didn’t understand how that was possible. Korea wasn’t _that_ small.

“No, we got to know each other tonight, but we’ve met before. Remember when you and Chittaphon first met all those years ago?”

“Yeah…he accidentally tripped you outside of that convenience store, and you almost made him cry,” I recounted.

Lolly smiled. “Well, he was with friends. And while he was blubbering and apologizing, one of them had the sense to run back into the store to buy band-aids.”

I remembered that, but it was so long ago and there’d been so much going on, I never stopped to think—

I gasped and looked at Jaehyun. “It was you! You ran in to buy the band-aids!”

The memory was foggy, but Chit had been skinny as a rail, and so had Jaehyun. He’d been a little tanner with bangs obscuring his eyes. He also never said a word. Just thrust napkins and a box of band-aids into my arms before melting back into the group of worried trainees.

No wonder I hadn’t remembered him.

“Oh my God. I met you the same day I met Chit.” I turned to Lolly. “How’d you remember him?”

She tapped the side of her head. “I never forget a face. Especially one as handsome as his.”

I was feeling so many things right now. Embarrassed and amazed and fuzzy with warmth. Happy coincidences like this only happened in movies, not real life.

“I wish you’d reminded me when we met again at SM. Or Chit, for that matter.”

“You know he’s not big on details. He probably doesn’t remember I was there,” Jaehyun said, cheeks coloring. “Plus, I wasn’t even sure if you’d seen my face.”

We stared at each other. Him in mild embarrassment and me in awe until Lolly cleared her throat and stood up.

“You know what this means, right?”

We looked at her and waited.

“It’s fate.”

A few hours later, I realized my Lolly was on fate’s side when she made Jaehyun miss another train back to Seoul, and insisted he spend the night.

“And where’s he gonna sleep?” I asked. She was as bad as Haechan.

“With you since I only have one guest room.” She winked. “Besides, I’m not old-fashioned.”

I sighed. She was old-fashioned enough to be upset if the whole world found out I spent the night in an apartment full of guys, but progressive enough to let me share a room with my perceived love interest. 

“What if I slept with you and let Jaehyun have the guest room? Didn’t you say you wanted us to talk until the sun came up?”

She yawned. “I don’t remember saying that. Plus my room is small, and I’m so tired. I’ve been up all day cooking.”

I considered _not_ giving her the gift I’d brought as she lead us to the guest room. In the last forty-eight hours I’d been in more precarious situations with men than I had my entire life.

Jaehyun was polite as Lolly pointed out which cabinets housed the pillows and blankets, but his ears were bright red.

“Alright then,” Lolly said. “Goodnight!”

We stood in the middle of the spacious room trying to avoid looking at each other. When our eyes met, nervous laughter turned into good-natured chuckling. Our day had been too crazy not to laugh at. It tempered the tension enough for us to pull out the bedding and set it up a respectable distance apart.

After Jaehyun left to wait outside so I could change, and came back in, we settled under our blankets to get some sleep.

“What a day, huh?” I murmured, shifting on my side to look at him.

The room was faintly lit by a small night light in the corner. They were all over the house, so Lolly didn’t trip and fall when she got up in the middle of the night. I was going to leave ours off, but it was near Jaehyun and he’d asked to switch it on. Now I was glad he had, so I could see his face.

“Yeah, it was crazy, but also…fun?” He turned on his side to stare back.

“Ah...so stress is your idea of a good time.”

He didn’t answer right away, but when he did his voice was laced with humor. “The guys played a pretty stressful prank one year on my birthday. They pretended to have this big, blowout fight, and I was caught in the middle. Ever since then I just automatically keep calm under pressure.”

“That’s called trauma, Jaehyun.”

“Hmmm…you’re probably right.”

I adjusted my head, not used to such a high pillow. “I can’t believe I met you at the same time as Chit. We could’ve been friends all these years.”

He was silent again, and after a minute I thought he’d fallen asleep.

“You wanna know what the funny thing is?” he said eventually. “It feels like we have been. At least on my end. Not to be weird, but Ten met you when we were getting ready to debut with the Seventh Sense, so I was usually with him whenever you guys FaceTimed or texted. So when we met again, it felt like…”

“Like what?” I asked, chest warm and fuzzy.

“Like I already knew you.”

*******

**Author's note:** Another chapter from Mari's POV! Hope you liked it. What did you think of the infamous Lolly? This chapter didn't have much of Haechan after the kiss, because I thought it was time to shed some light on the second lead aka Jaehyun. The next chapter will be from Haechan's POV, so stay tuned. And the song that played after "Puzzle Piece" was "White Night" off of the Neo Zone album. I tweaked the English translation I found to make it flow better. Enjoy! And stream the "Make A Wish" music video.

Please drop a comment below to let me know what you thought of this chapter <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Haechan**

I hadn't planned on kissing Mari noona. But to be fair, I hadn't planned on feeling what I felt when I studied her face.

_Which part of my face do I like the least?_

It was the question Chen-le had gotten at the beginning of Drink & Tell, and he’d answered honestly. In front of everyone. Now it was Mari’s turn, and I’d be the only one who heard the answer.

It was hard to imagine her not liking something about herself when I liked it all. That’s why the word “cute” kept popping up in my head. I’d tried to ban it at the pancake place, but it wouldn’t stay away.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” Mari noona said, shaking her head. “What do you think I hate about my face?”

I stared at it. "What're the options again?" The words were a shovel I used to dig my own grave.

"Um...my eyes,” she mumbled.

They were big and brown, and made me feel like I was on stage under a dozen lights.

"My nose."

Not much of a bridge, but round and pretty cute. I almost laughed at myself. There was that word again.

"My skin."

It was dark. Really dark. But what I had trouble accepting about myself looked good on her for some reason. Was it because _she_ accepted it? Loved it?

My eyes lingered on her collarbone. The skin there was smooth, stretching lightly over delicate bones. Some guys were into weird stuff like women's necks and ankles. I didn't think I was one of them until now.

"Or...my lips," Mari finished softly. My eyes shot up to them. Pouty. Full. Her top and bottom lip were almost the same size, while the top was the same color as her skin and the bottom a little pinkish.

I kept staring as "Puzzle Piece" played and the rain created that intimate cocoon I liked so much. My body felt hot and my heart was beating funny. I admitted I didn't know what she'd pick and she actually told me. If we stopped the game here I’d win. But that didn’t seem to matter to either of us anymore.

We talked about Cupid's bows and self-confidence while I thought about how the combination of her features made something I really liked looking at. And she was laying on her side in _my_ bed; her curls spilling onto my pillow. 

I didn’t even realize I’d been leaning closer and closer until my face was inches from hers. I told her what I was thinking then kissed her before I could stop myself.

_What happened to you not liking older women?_ A little voice in my head mocked as soon our lips met.

I didn’t have an answer for it, so I told it to shut up and sank deeper into the kiss. Mari’s lips were soft and she smelled really good. I kept pressing forward until she fell on her back, letting out a surprised sound that sent a crackle of electricity up my spine. It pulled me to my knees, and I placed one hand above her head on the pillow and the other next to her shoulder. When she started kissing back, my stomach felt hollow and a hunger I knew wasn't about food consumed me.

I should've just kept kissing her, but like always I couldn’t stay quiet. As soon as Mari heard me call her noona, the spell was broken and she shoved me away.

I didn't get any sleep that night, and when I checked my room the next morning Mari was gone.

It had stopped raining, and the sun shone high in the sky. But instead of going out to enjoy the nice day, I spent it moping around the dorm and beating myself up. No matter how good the mood was and how pretty Mari looked in my bed, I shouldn't have kissed her.

What if she didn't want to talk to me anymore? Or asked not to do NCT’s makeup? What if she quit?

A cold feeling spread through my body at the thought of never seeing her again. She could decide to pack up and move to back to America.

I flopped around on the couch in frustration, but stopped when I thought about what Mari would think if she saw me. She’d think I was a kid throwing a tantrum. I crossed my arms and tried to let out even breaths. I was so dumb. I couldn’t believe I’d messed everything up.

Someone had moved the giant Ryan plushie in our living room to the end of the couch, so I sat up and glared at him. When I couldn’t take his judgmental stare anymore, I kicked him off the couch.

I was so lost in my thoughts, eating the rest of the candy Mari had brought, I didn’t even hear Mark and the others come in. They were back from the hotel. Johnny, Yuta, and Doyoung wandered out of their rooms to greet them.

“How’d hanging with Mari go?” Mark asked after putting his stuff away and changing.

Everyone gathered in the living room to listen to Johnny talk about what happened yesterday. They were shocked she’d spent the night, but understood why. Taeyong said we were lucky our manager hadn't stopped by before the rain started, and Jung-woo whined about missing all the fun. Mark kept shooting worried glances my way. It was probably because I wasn’t talking much.

We hung around the dorm all Saturday and did nothing. It was pretty rare for us to have a day off during promotions and all be home at the same time. A lot of us used days off to visit family and non-idol friends, or run errands. As I went through my mental checklist of members, I realized someone was missing. I hadn’t moved from the couch, so I sat up and looked around. Mark was on the other end listening to music on his phone, and Johnny was doing crunches on the floor.

“Does Jaehyun have solo stuff today?” I asked.

Out of breath, Johnny stopped working out and picked up his phone. “I don’t think so. Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him all day. Lemme text him."

He typed out a text and sent it, but didn't get anything back.

Hours later, after I'd stopped beating myself up about Mari and started thinking of ways to fix things, Johnny and the others burst into my room.

“We know where Jaehyun’s been!” he exclaimed.

I’d pretty much forgotten about him. I had bigger problems. Plus Jaehyun was a “nineties baby”, so he could take care of himself.

“He’s been with Mari all day at her grandma’s house in Incheon,” Yuta said.

I got out of bed even though it was late and there was nowhere I could go with Yuta, Johnny, Mark, Taeil, Doyoung, Taeyong, and Jung-woo crowding my door. There was no way I’d heard him right. This had to be some kind of prank. But why would it be? None of them knew I was feeling things for our makeup artist. And none of them knew we’d kissed.

I waited, but no one laughed or said “gotcha”.

All Johnny added was, “He’s spending the night too.”

That night I couldn’t sleep again. I stayed up staring at Jaehyun’s empty bed.

Jaehyun had spent the whole day with Mari? In _Incheon_? She'd introduced him to her Lolly and now he was spending the night? I thought back to her pushing me away, then even further to her saying she'd kiss Jaehyun during Drink and Tell. I turned on my side and punched my pillow a little harder than necessary to get it into a comfortable shape.

Was that it? Was it because I wasn't Jaehyun? Would she have kept kissing me if I was? Were they kissing now that they were away from the rest of us?

I squeezed my eyes shut. _No_. Jaehyun was careful about scandals. Then again, so was I. But here I was obsessing over a kiss I'd planted on a woman who was five years older than me. And wishing I could do it again.

***

"We’re leaving for Inkigayo in five,” our manager said, poking his head into one of SM’s big waiting rooms.

"Okay, thanks, hyung.” Taeyong finished helping Doyoung fine tune a dance move before packing up his stuff.

It had been almost a week since I’d kissed Mari, and I was pretty sure she was avoiding me.

When Jaehyun had come back from Incheon early last Sunday morning, he had a lot to say. Grinning from ear-to-ear, he told us about running away from the sasaengs at the train station, Lolly, and some dude named Han Hyun-min. Everyone’s jaws dropped, but I could barely listen. The only thing that made me feel better was the thought of finding Mari the next day and talking things over. But it turned out trying to talk to someone who didn't want to talk to _you_ was tricky. 

SM’s headquarters was huge, but I could usually find Mari in hair and makeup. That Monday I’d caught glimpses of her, but every time I started walking over, she’d run out to grab something or just disappear. Someone else ended up doing my makeup for the first time in weeks, and the NCTzens noticed. Later that night when I checked the comments under the variety show we’d appeared on, they were confused.

_Puduprincess10: His face is back to being three shades lighter than his neck. What happened?!_

_Neocityresident251’s reply to Puduprincess10: No clue, but I'm depressed._

_HyucksNumber1Homie: Did they fire the makeup artist?_

_Basskickswinginkidd’s reply to HyucksNumber1Homie: I wouldn't be surprised if they did. She was making him look too much like himself. In other news, has anyone seen the pics of Jaehyun with his foreign friend? Looks like they were trying to get away from sasaengs. I can't tell whether it's a guy or girl, but they look close._

I’d sat in bed for a minute staring at the link _Basskickswinginkidd_ included. Jaehyun had mentioned that the sasaengs had snapped photos, but I’d been too focused on the rest of his story to look them up. I bit my lip and clicked the link, which took me to a fan site that showed multiple pics.

My stomach sank. In most of them Jaehyun and Mari were holding hands. There were even a few videos of them running with him pulling her suitcase. The NCTzens were right. It was hard to tell if Mari was a girl or guy, but one thing was easy to see: they had a connection. It was evident in the way Jaehyun turned to look at her as they ran; in the way he glanced down at the suitcase to make sure it wasn’t tripping her. He cared about her, and it was obvious.

For the rest of the week, I’d tried to pin Mari down and talk to her, but she was slipperier than the eel I liked in my sushi. Had she hated the kiss that much? Did she hate _me_?

Now, it was the following Sunday, and I was starting to feel desperate. A whole week had passed and if I didn’t talk to her today, I wouldn’t get to for another couple of days. The guys and I were spending tomorrow packing before heading to the countryside to film.

It had to be today. Before Inkigayo.

When our manager said we were leaving in five minutes, we usually had fifteen and he was just saying it to rush us. I glanced at my phone. Fifteen minutes was enough time to convince Mari things could go back to normal.

I followed Taeyong, Doyoung, and Taeil out of the dressing room, but instead of following them to our van, I wandered the halls looking for Mari. One of the good things about her being a foreigner was she was easy to spot.

I checked the hair and makeup room, but it was empty except for Ha-rin, the makeup artist Min-ji had tried to make Mari work late for so they could go clubbing. Since then I’d been a bit cold to her. She smiled, but I pretended I didn’t see her and turned right back around.

Where was Mari? I checked a few more rooms, but she was no where to be found. I was about to give up when I caught a flash of brown skin. My eyes honed in on it in time to see Mari come out of the bathroom.

I turned to look at her and she froze in the middle of the hallway. It looked like she was going to bolt, so I walked up to her and grabbed her wrist. I knew where to take her. I started pulling her toward the empty dressing room we'd talked in after Min-ji upset her, but she twisted her arm free.

"This isn't a drama," she said firmly. "Did I say I wanted to go anywhere with you?"

I blinked, a little surprised. I thought that stuff was in dramas because girls liked it? I frowned. Then again, Mari wasn’t really a girl. She was a twenty-five-year old woman and I had zero experience with those.

I shoved down the insecurities threatening to boil over, and tried to be “confident Hyuck”.

"Sorry for grabbing you, but you can’t tell me you weren’t about to run.”

She looked guilty.

“Can we talk?”

"I don't know.” She glanced at her phone. “Aren't you guys supposed to be leaving for Inkigayo?"

"Yeah. The faster we talk, the quicker I can go."

She shook her head, but I didn't miss the small smile of amusement on her face. “I knew you’d say that. Fine.”

Relief spread through me as we made our way to the small dressing room I was starting to consider our “spot”. When I locked the door behind me, she raised one eyebrow.

"Do you want someone to come in and hear us talking about Friday night?" I challenged, lifting my own.

She sighed. "I guess not."

"I'm sorry.” There was no point dancing around it. “I'm sorry for kissing you. I got carried away."

Mari crossed her arms and looked down. It was defensive body language. "It's okay. You already apologized."

I felt restless. It couldn’t be this easy, right? "Can you stop avoiding me now?”

"I'm not avoiding you...”

That struck a nerve.

“Don’t do that. Don’t treat me like some dumb kid. You’ve been avoiding me all week.”

“Okay...I’ve been avoiding you. But ‘dumb’ is the last word I’d use to describe you, Haechan.”

“Would ‘kid’ be the first?”

She didn’t dispute it, so I balled my hands into fists. I hated that she saw me that way when Jaehyun was only three years older. When I was only one year shy of being one of her precious “nineties babies”. 

“You know what the funny thing is?” I asked. “ _I’m_ the kid, but I’m the one who wanted to talk things out like an adult while you ran away.”

Mari scrunched up her forehead and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She closed her eyes and pushed out a breath. “That’s fair. I deserve that.”

“So, talk to me. How was Incheon? Did Jaehyun and your Lolly get along?” That was the other thing that was bugging me. If Mari and I hadn’t spent hours talking about her family over pancakes, I wouldn’t feel this weird sense of betrayal about Jaehyun getting to meet her Lolly first. I knew it was unplanned, and she didn’t owe me anything, but my usual logical way of thinking wasn’t clicking.

“They got along,” Mari replied warily. “But that wasn’t their first time meeting.”

I faltered. How was that possible? “I thought Ten was the only one who’d met your family?”

She frowned, then explained how she’d actually met Jaehyun the same day as Ten, and how he’d gotten to know her second-hand through a bunch of FaceTimes with Ten over the years.

I was stunned. Why hadn’t he mentioned that? Even though it was one-sided, Jaehyun had gotten to know Mari. He’d learned her voice; heard her talking about herself. It now made sense why he’d shown interest in her the second she started working for the company, and why he knew certain things.

Did it create a false familiarity that caused Mari to feel a connection too?

I suddenly felt dumb even though Mari thought I wasn’t. And helpless. I couldn’t compete with that. But the thought of Jaehyun or anyone else getting close to her while I faded into the background bothered me. Probably more than it should have at this point. I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was attracted to her anymore, but I didn’t know what to do. It’s not like I could demand all of her attention. Or...ask her out. 

Could I?

I shook my head. _No_. The label would blacklist me, and the fans would freak out. Dating wasn’t the same thing as marriage, but no one wanted to be the next Chen. Plus I’d never been in a relationship before, so the thought of one— especially with an older woman like Mari— was kind of intimidating.

I stared into her huge eyes. She was leaning against one of the workstations, back to the mirrors. I stood in front of her, my conflicted reflection taunting me.

“Wow. I guess in a way Jaehyun’s known you as long as Ten.” I tried to sound casual, but my head was still spinning. All this time I thought he’d learned certain things about her through their conversations when in reality, he’d probably eavesdropped and connected the dots through Ten, then filed them away. Why? Because Mari had peaked his interest. Just like she’d peaked mine. “Fun fact: I was actually supposed to be in the Seventh Sense promotions. I even recorded an alternate version. But the company decided not to use me at the last second.”

Mari relaxed against the workstation, expression empathetic; ready to listen.

“Maybe things would’ve been different, if I’d gotten to do it,” I murmured. “Maybe we would’ve met.”

She tensed up again, but I forced a laugh to diffuse the situation.

“You’re thinking about how old I would’ve been back then, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and I don’t want to!”

She eventually joined in the laughter, and the tension that had been building disappeared. Maybe things really could go back to normal. I could work with that. I’d be happy with it.

“Aside from me almost messing up our friendship, it sounds like you had a nice weekend,” I said.

Mari sighed. “I guess I did. If we exclude the _sasaengs_.”

“Right.” I paused; got serious again. “Do you think things could maybe go back to normal now?”

“Sure.” I didn’t miss her slight hesitation. “Again, I’m sorry for avoiding you. The mature thing to do _was_ talk. Now go. Your manager’s probably looking for you.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later?” Feeling lighter, I turned to leave, then froze. I’d almost forgotten. I turned back around. “We’ve actually got some more unfinished business.”

She looked confused.

“My wish.”

It took Mari a minute to catch on, but when she did, her eyes widened.

"I won Drink and Tell, so now I get one wish." I moved closer.

"What do you want?” she asked warily.

My shoulders rose in an exaggerated shrug. “Gee, I don’t know. The possibilities are endless.”

“I should’ve expected this.”

I grinned. “You should’ve.”

“You remember the rules, right? No public humiliation. No large amounts of money, and nothing that’d make the current climate at work awkward. Well, more awkward, anyway.”

“I remember.”

“So, what do you want?” Her forehead scrunched adorably.

I let the moment of silence drag on to heighten the suspense. There was a little voice in the back of my head that made a wish, but I ignored it. That wish would be impossible. Especially since things were going back to normal. I’d just have to think of something else.

“Haechan,” Mari gritted out. “Just say it. Do you want me to do your makeup exclusively for a month? Clean your room? Make you breakfast?”

That all sounded very tempting, but fleeting. I wanted my wish to count. Have some sort of long-term effect.

I turned my back on her again and headed toward the door. “There’s no rule saying I have to redeem my wish right away, so I think I’ll hold on to it.”

“Are you kidding?”

I held in my laughter as I unlocked and opened the door.

“Haechan!”

Right before the door closed behind me, I tossed a grin over my shoulder. “See you later, noona.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soneul matdae make a wish~
> 
> It never fails. Every time I’m stressed, I work on this story and it makes me happy. Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please comment what you think Haechan will wish for ;)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Domestic abuse in the last section of chapter.

**Mari**

A twenty-year-old kid in an idol group was going to get me deported.

Which was funny, because when I first moved to Korea, I thought home sickness, culture shock, or xenophobia would get me to leave on my own. I thought I’d identified all the potential hazards, and even set contingency plans in place. But nothing could’ve prepared me for Haechan. Instead of home sickness or culture shock, it would be a slick-talking, mischievous little brat that would send me back to the states.

I couldn’t believe he was holding his Drink and Tell wish over my head, but he’d been right. I should’ve seen it coming.

It had been a few weeks since our chat in the dressing room, and things were slowly getting back to normal between us. It helped that NCT had gone to film in the countryside for a few days, because it gave me time to recalibrate. Avoiding Haechan hadn’t been the right move, but I’d done it because every time I saw him I thought about the kiss. However, talking things over and not having to see him at work helped me shift it from the forefront of my mind.

The problem was now I couldn’t stop thinking about how well he’d handled everything. How he’d taken the initiative while I acted like a flustered teen. It was foreign emotional ground, because I was usually a big proponent of communication. And it disarmed me, because it showed he was more mature than I’d given him credit for.

Or maybe…it wasn’t that deep. Maybe the kiss had just been a forgettable mistake Haechan wanted to move past for the sake of our working relationship and friendship. That could’ve been why it was so easy for him to discuss and dismiss. But it was hard to tell where I stood with him. He gave and received affection freely, and was clingy with his friends. So him slipping up and calling me cute, inviting me over, and even the kiss didn’t necessarily mean anything. He was a friendly person, and the kiss had been spurred on by the intimate conversation, the rain, and too much soju.

I had to remember that.

I also had to remember he could demand his wish at any time. And when he got back from the countryside, he made sure to remind me. I had no idea what he’d ask for, and it left me on edge. Especially when I did his makeup or answered his texts.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Jaehyun had me on edge too. Ever since I found out he was the boy who’d bought Lolly band-aids after Chit tripped her, things were different. He hovered a lot, blushed a lot, and I even found out my Lolly had gotten his number before we’d left Incheon.

They’d been texting almost every day! And she made sure I knew.

Jaehyun’s attention and newfound relationship with my grandma was stressing me out, because it felt like it was leading somewhere. Sure, he was gorgeous and not that much younger than me, but he was still my client. And a famous celeb. Even though SM didn’t have a dating ban like other companies, it would still be a PR nightmare. Like that guy everyone whispered about named Chen.

It was all very emotionally taxing, so that’s why I almost wept in relief when Chit FaceTimed to tell me WAYV’s promotions were ending, and he was coming back from China.

I was finally getting my best friend back. My partner in crime.

Maybe he could even help me make sense of things now that he’d be around.

I’d met WAYV’s manager, YJ a bunch of times, so he knew I was Chit’s best friend. He also knew I worked for SM now. A week before WAYV’s flight touched down at Gimpo airport, he agreed to let me hitch a ride with the intern who was scheduled to pick them up. Now I wouldn’t have to wait an extra hour to see Chit. Which was a relief, because I’d missed him so much even an hour seemed like a long time. I’d be the first person to hug him on Korean soil.

The night before, I made sure to pick out another baggy disguise. Just in case. Being in the limelight was never something I’d wanted, so I was still freaked out from my last encounter with _sasaengs_ , and the fact that my picture was all over the internet. Seeing myself on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube made me queasy, but at least I’d been unrecognizable. The fans were still arguing over my gender, and I’d become some sort of unsolved mystery. I was ranked pretty high with the “Mic Breather” and “Markhyuck Summer Fight”, but had no idea what they meant.

It didn’t really matter. I was willing to be added to the NCT lore if it meant I got to see my best friend a little bit sooner.

After deciding on my new “rapper from the early two thousands” outfit, I got into bed and smiled when Louis slipped under the covers with me.

“Your dad’s coming home tomorrow,” I whispered, burying my face in his fur. “He’s finally coming home.”

“Chit!”

“Mar-Mar!”

Chit let go of his rolling suitcase and spread out his arms in time for me to launch myself into them. He laughed, buckling a little under my weight, because he wasn’t that much bigger than me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and dug my nose into the side of his neck. He laughed harder, spinning slowly as one hand rubbed my back.

I’d missed him _so_ much. Now that he was here, Seoul already felt more like home.

“Why’re you dressed like Seo Taiji and the Boys?” he joked.

“So I don’t get burned at the stake by your fans if anyone manages to snap a pic.”

“You’re such a creative problem solver.” He stopped spinning. “My cat’s still alive, right?”

“Of course. _You’re_ the one I don’t like to feed.”

He chuckled and squeezed me tighter.

“Just did a quick search on Naver, and there’s a few love motels not too far from here,” Yang Yang announced.

I knew he was kidding, so I lifted my head to give him an exaggerated glare, but Kun chastised him before I could.

“They’re practically siblings at this point.”

Henderey nodded in agreement. “Yeah, so stop encouraging incest.”

“Thanks, you guys,” I said, sliding out of Chit’s arms onto the asphalt. “It’s good to see you too.”

Henderey, Kun, Yang Yang, Lucas, Xiao Jun, and Win Win gathered around me to exchange greetings, and talk about their flight. As planned, I’d hopped in a van with an SM intern and rode to Gimpo International with him. We’d parked in a secure parking lot at the back of the airport, and made awkward small talk until WAYV and their entourage filed out of a nondescript door. Then I’d jumped out of the van and ran at Chit like a madwoman. If his bodyguards hadn’t been expecting me, they probably would’ve tackled me to the ground.

I smiled at Manager YJ and mouthed a “Thank you”.

He winked and clapped his hands once. “Hate to break up the party, but we should probably get going. We managed to keep the details of your arrival private, but if we’re out in the open long enough a lens always manages to find us.”

“Mari can ride back to the dorm with us, right?” Chit asked hopefully.

“Of course. I let her take the van here, so why would I make her take a taxi back?”

Chit shrugged.

“Besides, your parents told me to be nice to her or they’d stop sending me food.”

The boys and I laughed before piling into the van. Thank goodness YJ was a slave to Thai food. He took the intern’s spot behind the wheel while the intern and bodyguards loaded WAYV’s luggage in the back. When they were done, they hopped into a sedan I hadn’t seen pull up.

“Wait, did they put in my suitcase?” Yang Yang asked suddenly.

“Not only did I pack it for you, I pulled it for you, remember?” Kun sighed. “They stuck it under mine.”

Satisfied, Yang Yang popped in his AirPods and settled comfortably in the backseat. I bit back a smile. Who did that smugness and mischief remind me of?

Chit and I sat up a row ahead. There was so much I wanted to tell him, but I’d have to wait until we were alone. So I just kept things surface level and asked how WAYV’s promotions went. He launched into the experience, telling me how great it was to be back on stage, and all the sweet and crazy things their fans had done. The other members interjected with their own thoughts and funny stories.

I’d met all of them at least once when I visited Chit in the past, so they were a little more familiar than the 127 boys. I was comfortable around WAYV, and happy they were comfortable enough to be themselves. Which was loud and chaotic with the exception of a few quiet members. One of those quiet members was Win Win, who I’d talked to on FaceTime a few weeks ago. I saluted him gravely.

“I carried out my mission and told Taeil to stop spamming you with pics. How’s your phone storage?” I asked.

“Still full.” Win Win chuckled quietly. “He texted four pictures making heart signs, because he knew we were coming back today.”

“Oof. I’m sorry. I tried my best.”

“Everyone’s obsessed with Win Win,” Chit teased. “It’s a gift and a curse.”

“Mostly a curse,” he mumbled.

“No way! Good looks are a gift. You should be happy that in a group as big as NCT, there’s only one person more handsome than you,” Lucas said loudly, a giant grin on his face.

“And who might that be?” Xiao Jun’s tone was dry and one thick eyebrow was quirked.

“Taeyong, obviously.”

Lucas gasped, scandalized. “Henderey, how could you say that? Get some rest, because I think the jet-lag’s affecting your vision.”

“Ooh, maybe. Wait a sec.” Henderey went limp in his seat and started snoring exaggeratedly. Then he shot back up like a live wire. “Nope. Still Taeyong.”

“Taeyong’s very good-looking, but how can you lie like this?” Lucas whined.

Lucas truly was one of the most beautiful people I’d ever seen. I even remembered staring a little when we first met. But the second he opened his mouth, he turned into a big, loud puppy. From the glimpses I’d caught over the years and the way Chit talked about them, every member of WAYV had a role. Henderey was equal parts silly and weird. Xiao Jun was the earnest mood-maker. Yang Yang was basically Haechan. And Win Win and Kun tempered their energy with mellower personalities. Poor Kun had the added responsibility of being the dad of the group.

When it came to Chit himself, he was affectionate, but brought a sassy, devil’s advocate flair to the dynamic. I knew this, because it was also the role he played in our friendship.

As we rumbled away from the airport and into the morning traffic of the city, Chit threw some verbal grenades that caused the van to explode in outraged laughter. Even YJ joined in. I reveled in the bickering, and slid down in the seat to rest my head on Chit’s shoulder.

Haechan had started it, but Chit had made the feeling complete.

I didn’t feel so alone anymore.

When we got to WAYV’s dorm, the boys dropped their luggage for a heart-warming reunion with the pets I wasn’t watching. In addition to Louis, there was a beagle by the name of Bella and an Abyssinian named Leon. SM staff members had looked after them, but Chit had specifically tasked me with taking care of Louis. I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but now I knew he’d done it so I wouldn’t be lonely.

Chit was thoughtful even though he didn’t like to admit it.

After he put some of his stuff away and changed his musty airport clothes, I said goodbye to the rest of WAYV, and YJ dropped us off at my apartment.

“You wanna order food?” I asked, letting myself in.

“I thought you didn’t like feeding me?”

I grinned. “Ooh, thanks for the reminder. You can just watch me eat then.”

“Noooo! Please, I’m starving!” Chit shut the door behind him and crouched down. “Louis! Come to daddy!”

The brown and white Siamese darted over to him, and Chit scooped him up, burying his face in his fur.

“Did you miss me? Did this lady feed you and play with you and show you my picture every day like I asked?”

I rolled my eyes. He was a mess, but it felt nice to have another human in my apartment. He’d only gotten to see it once before going to China. I ordered gimbap and tteokbeoki from a nearby place Haechan had recommended. Once it arrived, Chit and I sat around my low wooden table, ate and caught up for real. He already knew some stuff from our FaceTimes, like Min-ji’s casual racism and Haechan stepping in. But I hadn’t told him any of the recent developments with Haechan or Jaehyun, because I wanted to tell him person.

“So…remember how I kind of had a rocky start with Haechan?” I asked slowly.

“Yeah, how could I forget Foundationgate? Such a scandal.”

“Well, we’re cool now.”

“I mean, he took you out for pancakes, so I figured. I’m just glad you’re getting to know more people since I’m not always around and your Lolly doesn’t exactly live close by.”

“Getting to know more people…yeah…that was the plan.” I gripped the wooden chopsticks that came with the take out so hard they almost broke. Chit was my best friend, but it was still embarrassing to say out loud. “But the plan worked so well that we kissed.”

He spit tteokbeoki all over the table, then pinched the bridge of his nose in pain. “Ahhh! Some came out through my nose! Some came out through my nose!”

Louis watched in feline disgust as I ran to get more water, paper towels, and a box of tissues. After I finished wiping down the table and salvaging some of the food, Chit fixed me with wide eyes. He was gripping his glass of water and had tissue stuck up each nostril. It painted a hilarious picture, but I couldn’t laugh, because I was too anxious about his reaction.

“You _kissed_ one twenty-seven’s maknae?” he gasped after another gulp of water.

“He kissed _me_!”

“I swear when I left you weren’t a cradle robber. What happened?”

I told him. I told him how Haechan had started seeking me out to do his makeup, and how we’d bonded after the incident with Min-ji and Ha-rin. I told him about Haechan texting me restaurant recommendations, and funny memes. Then Weekly Idol, the dinner at 127’s dorm, Drink and Tell, and finally…the kiss.

Chit stared at me, mouth hanging open. He’d forgotten about the food. “I think he’s got a little crush, Mar.”

“It’s not like I haven’t wondered…it’s just hard to know for sure, because he’s clingy and affectionate with everyone. And when we talked in the dressing room, he seemed adamant about things going back to normal. About being friends.”

“Does he _kiss_ his friends?” Chit asked dryly.

I shot him a knowing look, and watched the realization dawn on him.

“Sorry, dumb question. He _does_ kiss his friends.”

“And sometimes he films it too. It’s called ‘Haechan’s Kiss cam’.”

“You’re right,” Chit obliged. “It’d be hard to tell, but he really could be thinking _noona neomu yeppo_ unironically.”

I sighed. “Let’s say you’re right. Is it an actual crush or does he just like me because I’m a novelty?”

I made it a point to practice self-love, and didn’t like being vulnerable in front of others. But this was Chit. If I couldn’t express my concerns and doubts in front of him, then I’d really be bottling everything up.

He frowned, pulling the tissues out of his nostrils. He was a foreigner too, but could only understand my struggles to a certain extent since he didn’t stand out as much as I did. But like the amazing friend he was, he always tried to empathize instead of dismiss. He always had my back.

“It sucks that we can’t completely rule that out,” he said softly. “Has Haechan said anything to make you feel that way?”

“No, but stuff like this is always in the back of my head.”

“How did _you_ feel about the kiss? Do you think you might like him?”

“He’s too young,” I answered immediately.

Chit grinned devilishly. “That’s not what I asked.”

I frowned, and tried to examine myself honestly. Was I attracted to Haechan? It sucked, but the answer was yes. I was attracted to a guy barely out of his teens. The kiss was no longer at the forefront of my mind, but that didn’t mean I didn’t think about it _at all._ That didn’t mean I wasn’t becoming attuned to his moods; his quirks. He’d been super excited the minute he realized he could hold his Drink and Tell wish over my head, and that’s because he enjoyed getting under people’s skin. Despite our relationship going back to normal, I was finding it harder and harder to do his makeup. Was I imagining the way he looked up at me when he was in my chair? The way his eyes fluttered closed when my fingertips brushed his skin? Or how he always seemed to lick his lips right before I put lip balm or a lip stain on them?

I was going crazy, because I felt like I couldn’t trust my own perspective.

“I…think Haechan’s adorable, but I’m not quite sure if I like him or if I was just lonely while you were gone,” I admitted slowly.

“Hmm,” Chit began, face splitting into a grin. “Well, now that I’m back, let me be your eyes and ears. I’m a neutral third party, so what I observe will be reality.”

I scoffed. Neutral? Yeah, right. Why was this my life? No matter what Chit observed, nothing could happen, because Haechan was too young _and_ he was my client.

Plus…

“I don’t want him to end up like that Chen guy,” I murmured out loud.

“Chen? From EXO? What does he have to do with this?”

“I don’t know. Everyone keeps bringing him up as cautionary tale about why idols need to be careful when it comes to relationships. He had a shotgun wedding, right?”

Chit waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not gonna say you shouldn’t think about getting into a relationship with an idol carefully, but Chen is Chen and you are you. Everyone’s story and situation is different. Just know that a _ton_ of idols date in secret, and a lot of them manage to make it work or break up without anyone finding out.”

“Okay, but are those idols dating other idols? Or their makeup artists and coordi-noonas?” I asked dryly.

“Some are dating their makeup artists and coordi-noonas.” Chit definitely knew more about idol life, so I had to take his word for it.

“Seriously?” I sat there, stunned.

“What, you thought you were special? You’re not the only makeup artist who’s ever been in this situation.”

That was humbling. And of course it had crossed my mind, but knowing it was somewhat of a frequent occurrence messed with my head. And my resolve. I didn’t want him to know that though, so I picked up a slice of pickled radish and threw it at him. He let out his signature high-pitched shriek, but managed to dodge it.

“Let’s just stop talking about crushes and dating,” I grumbled. “There’s no way it’s gonna happen. Haechan’s a fetus, and I don’t want him to risk his career. I don’t wanna risk mine either.”

Chit grew serious. “I know you love what you do. And I’m proud of you. Just…keep your heart open, because it doesn’t always have to come down to choosing or losing everything. There are still a lot of people who support Chen, you know.”

“Right.”

“And hey, if you really don’t wanna go as young as Haechan, you’ve got Jaehyun.”

I almost nodded, then froze and looked at him sharply. I hadn’t talked much about Jaehyun yet, so how did he know our relationship had changed?

I gasped. “Lolly told you, didn’t she?!”

“Of course.” Chit barked out a laugh. “I talk to her almost every week.”

“Oh my god. You two are so annoying!”

“Actually, you’ve got another option, don’t you? How was Han Hyun-min? Who do you like between him, Jaehyun, and Haechan?”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Your life is like a reverse harem manga,” he teased. “Are you enjoying being the heroine?”

“Fine, keep talking,” I hissed. “I’ve got a ton of fruit in the kitchen, and I’m not afraid to hold you down and force feed it to you.”

Chit paled. He _despised_ fruit. “I’ll stop.”

I rolled my eyes, and let the conversation lull for a minute or two.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me Jaehyun was there when we met?” I eventually asked.

He’d gone back to stuffing tteokbeoki into his mouth. “I barely remembered who was there. All I remembered was getting chewed out by Lolly, and getting death glares from you. Trauma affects your memory.”

I shook my head in fond exasperation. “Well, do you remember him being around when we FaceTimed or talked on the phone?”

“Sometimes, I guess.” He stopped chewing and looked thoughtful. “I mean, I vaguely remember him being in the same room or coming into the one I was in whenever we FaceTimed. And if I was about to stick my headphones in, he’d tell me I wasn’t bugging him. He might’ve even laughed at some of your jokes, but at the time I thought he was laughing at something on his phone.”

I bit back a smile. “It’s amazing how you tripping my Lolly was the start of so many good things.”

“Yeah,” Chit agreed, moving closer and nudging me with one shoulder. “If only I could go back in time and tell you and her that.”

***

With Chit back in Seoul and in-between promotions, he had plenty of time to hang out, and appoint himself as my new life coach.

We went and visited my Lolly, got coffee with Hyun-min, and even hung out at 127’s dorm a few times. Chit watched my interactions with Haechan and Jaehyun like a hawk, but still had yet to offer up any noteworthy observations.

In the meantime, I beat faces at SM and continued living my life as a single, twenty-something blasian. The homesickness and loneliness faded, and even though I sometimes caught some of the other makeup artists whispering about me, work was bearable. Strangely enough, ever since the Weekly Idol shoot, Ha-rin sometimes said hi or engaged in short conversations with me about new beauty products and techniques.

Min-ji was still rude and dismissive, but after months of not assigning me extra or unnecessary work, she cornered me in the bathroom and tried to wield her authority again.

“You need me to go where?” I asked, tilting my head.

She wasn’t cordial or respectful, so I didn’t feel the need to be.

“The countryside,” she repeated, barely containing her eye roll. “One twenty-seven needs to film something else there over the weekend. It’s not a big shoot, so they’ll only need two MUAs. Ha-rin and another _talented_ makeup artist were scheduled to go, but the other artist’s father is in the hospital and you’re the only one available schedule-wise.”

I didn’t miss how she’d tried to imply I wasn’t talented. “I’m sorry to hear about their family emergency, but is it actually an emergency or is there a club you two wanna try out? I heard a new one opened up in Hongdae with drinks named after medical procedures. That’s not what you mean by ‘hospital’ is it?”

Min-ji flushed bright red, but tried to keep her voice from shaking. “Look, if you don’t believe me, you can come into my office and I can show you everyone’s schedule. You can even ask around to verify everything.”

I stared at her before turning around to fix my hair in the mirror. “I suppose I’ll take your word for it.”

“Really? Thank you so much.” Sarcasm dripped from every one of Min-ji’s words. “Be here by six in the morning on Saturday. The camera crew is going to start shooting at eight, so the boys need their makeup done before then. Make sure you pack an overnight bag.”

“Got it.” I finished freshening up and brushed by her.

“You think you’re all that just because you opened your legs for a few idol members? What a joke,” she muttered.

I froze by the door leading out of the bathroom, anger flooding my system. I wanted to turn back around and cuss her out, but that was probably the reaction she was hoping for, so I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

Instead, I just called her out again. And maybe planted a seed of doubt.

“You can’t get away with making people stay late so you can go clubbing, but I bet there are other things you think you’re getting away with. Aren’t there?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Min-ji snapped.

“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”

And she would. Because I hadn’t been bluffing when I’d told Chit I was working on a way to solve my Min-ji problem without the help of an idol in knight’s armor.

***

When I told Chit about me going to the countryside with the 127 boys, he almost had a stroke.

“I _have_ to find a way to come,” he gasped.

“What?!” There was no way I was letting that happen.

“If I asked YJ, I bet he’d let me tag along. It would only lead to the video getting more views.”

“Chit, if you try and insert yourself into my business trip, I will kill you and bury you in the wild,” I gritted out.

“But this would be some prime pudu-watching time,” he whined.

Okay, that was actually funny. But still. “My life isn’t some show on the discovery channel. I’ll just tell you everything when I get back.”

Chit continued to complain and beg, but I didn’t budge.

I had to face the infamous pudu in the wild on my own.

When Saturday rolled around, I woke up at the crack of dawn and started getting ready. The weather forecast mentioned humidity, so I wore teal shorts and a lacy, but light coral top. Even though this was an assignment directly from Min-ji, I was in a good mood, and wanted to be colorful. I packed an overnight bag, ate a light breakfast, and took the subway to the SM building.

I usually took the main entrance, but even though I was in a good mood, I didn’t feel like saying good morning and doing a partial bow to fifty people before I got to hair and makeup, so I decided to go in through the parking garage. It would cut out more people. And maybe give me a little more time to calm the butterflies in my stomach at the prospect of essentially going on a weekend trip with Haechan.

Like everything else in the SM building, the parking garage was modern and clean. There were no flickering lights, and it was already half full with cars even though the sun was barely up. The metal elevators loomed up ahead, the sound of my rolling makeup kit echoing in the large space. Suddenly, it was drowned out by shouting.

“Leave me alone, Kang-dae! Just go back home!” a woman shrieked.

I froze, surprised and confused. That voice sounded familiar.

Up ahead, a woman emerged from a row of cars, and made a beeline for the elevators. She was dragging a makeup kit similar to mine.

My mouth dropped open. It was Ha-rin.

“Who gave you permission to run off to the countryside?” A man who was presumably Kang-dae bellowed.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her back. She screamed, and the butterflies in my stomach vacated. Without thinking, I left my makeup kit behind and started walking toward them. Kang-dae was as big as a mountain, but this was how I reacted to these kinds of situations: act first, think later. It was like I was on autopilot, and couldn’t stop to assess the danger I was putting myself in.

“Hey, get your hands off her!” I shouted.

Kang-dae actually listened, and whirled around in surprise. Up close, I guessed he was at least six feet, and broad, although most of it didn’t look like muscle. He had a short, but awkwardly spiky haircut, and all of his features were beady and mean.

When he got a good look at me, the surprise on his face vanished. The coward was probably relieved I was a woman.

“What the heck’s a monkey doing down here?” he snarled. “Keep swingin’ by, this isn’t any of your business.”

Behind him, Ha-rin looked mortified. There was bruising on her cheekbone.

I glared at Kang-dae, not particularly offended by what he said, because I didn’t care what someone like him thought about someone like me.

“I don’t know…I think you look more like a monkey than me,” I said, looking him up and down. “Your behavior’s definitely straight out of a zoo.”

I shouldn’t have taunted him, but the words just sprang out. He balked, and without warning, surged forward and slapped me across the mouth. Pain exploded throughout my lips and jaw, and the force of it sent me careening toward the ground. When I landed, the asphalt scraped my leg, and my purse dug into my side, pushing the air out of my lungs.

“Mari-sshi!” Ha-rin was desperately trying to hold Kang-dae back, but he turned around and backhanded her.

She dropped hard.

“Who said you could leave for a whole weekend?” he roared. “You have responsibilities at home.”

Ha-rin glared up at him from the ground. “And I have responsibilities at work! Don’t we need money?”

“Making women look like clowns and men look like sissies isn’t a real job. Today you’re finally gonna listen to me and quit.”

I was still trying to catch my breath when a thought that should’ve occurred to me much earlier popped into my head. I reached inside my purse, and prayed the canister was there.

“Why do you want her to quit a big company like SM?” I needed to shift his attention back to me. “Is it because she makes more money than you and your tiny ego can’t take it?”

Kang-dae turned on me again, but before he could stomp me out like the senseless gorilla he was, another man rushed in front of me, and shoved him back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he shouted.

That voice sounded familiar too.

The man standing in front of me was a little taller than average, but still shorter than Kang-dae. He was pretty slim, and he was shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was from anger or fear. Or both.

He was facing Ha-rin, so when she got a good look at his face, her eyes bulged.

_This can’t be good,_ I thought.

The man looked over his shoulder, and we locked eyes.

I almost wheezed. “Doyoung?”

He started to ask what was going on, but Kang-dae had recovered, and was charging at him.

“Watch out!” I screamed.

But it was too late.

Kang-dae cocked a fist back and punched Doyoung in the face just as he was turning back around. It made a sickening sound, but I took the opportunity to jump up and pull pepper spray out of my purse.

“Hey, Curious George! Over here!”

Kang-dae rushed toward me, and I released the safety on the canister and sprayed him right in the face. He roared and crashed backward into a parked car. Its alarm went off, drowning out the curses and racial slurs pouring out of his mouth. He eventually slid to the ground and started rolling around, palms pressed against both eyes.

I was breathing hard, arm still outstretched and trembling. My pulse pounded in my ears as relief and anger battled for dominance over my body.

A pair of arms encircled me from behind, and I jerked and tried to turn around and spray whoever it was too.

“Noona?”

Was I hallucinating Haechan’s voice? The car alarm stopped, so I could hear better.

“Noona, it’s me.”

The pepper spray was pried gently from my fingers, and the sound of footsteps pounded the asphalt. Johnny and Jaehyun rushed past me and Haechan, and pounced on a writhing Kang-dae.

“What’s going on?” Johnny asked angrily.

Mark materialized and went to check up on Doyoung. He was down, but judging by his groans, conscious. With the scene contained, relief won the battle and the anger and adrenaline left my system. My body went limp, and my knees buckled. I sank to the ground, and a worried Haechan followed me down.

“Hey, hey! Noona, tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?”

As usual, the fear I should’ve felt _before_ trying to take on a man as big as a mountain hit me like a delayed train. I couldn’t believe I’d done that instead of calling building security! It was a good thing my pepper spray had been in this purse or Ha-rin and I would’ve been in serious trouble.

Haechan, who was now kneeling on the ground, was still trying to get through to me. He turned me around, and his jubilant, boyish face hardened with anger when he saw my lip. He touched the area next to it gently, but I still flinched. I couldn’t taste anything before, but now I tasted the tangy copper of blood.

“Who is that guy?” he growled, tipping his head toward Kang-dae. “There are security cameras down here, someone should’ve come to help even if you couldn’t call them.”

“We didn’t need security,” Ha-rin said breathlessly. “Because Mari-sshi’s a freaking super hero. She saved me from my crazy boyfriend.”

“No.” That was a loopy Doyoung. “She saved _us._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was pretty intense, but there will be a point to it. There wasn't much of Haechan in this chapter, because it was about Mari exploring her feelings. I also wanted to show her and Ten's dynamic in person. The scene where they catch up was really fun to write. 
> 
> There will be a ton of Haechan in the next few chapters, so stay tuned.
> 
> Oh, and I've seen pictures of NCT's manger, but don't know what his name is and don't know if he also manages WAYV. I've heard people say his initials are "YJ", so that's what I went by.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please comment! I really find them encouraging, and they motivate me to update faster.


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